Scramble to Cancel Putin’s Secret Invite at Pacific Island Forum
During the recent Pacific Island Forum held in Tonga, the country’s Foreign Affairs secretaries scrambled to cancel a secret invitation extended to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to insiders.
The cancellation was reportedly ordered by Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, who also chaired this year’s Pacific Island Forum—the quadrennial summit for the 14 small island nations in the Southwest Pacific. The region lies east of Australia and north of New Zealand.
Invitations were also sent to other high-profile figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders from Africa.
However, some Pacific Island leaders who were aware of the Chair’s intentions opposed the invitations, stressing that the Forum should be “for the Pacific, not for outsiders.”
Prime Minister Sovaleni did not respond to requests for comment via email, nor did he confirm or deny the allegations.
Tension in the Foreign Ministry
In the lead-up to and following the Forum, a power struggle emerged within the Tongan government.
His Majesty King Tupou VI ordered the removal of the Foreign Affairs portfolio from then-Foreign Minister Fekita Utoikamanu and reassigned the Defence Ministry portfolio from the Prime Minister to the Palace and the Office of State.
This decision followed a series of setbacks in the Foreign Ministry, including court losses for unjust staff firings, political infighting, and what appeared to be illegal attempts by the Prime Minister to commandeer ministry operations. The Prime Minister’s apparent neglect of his duties as Defence Minister, particularly in the Defence Board, was another contributing factor.
While the move caused political friction, the Prime Minister eventually issued a public apology due to pressure from the public and Parliament. However, in the months that followed, he continued to act as the de facto Minister of Defence and Foreign Affairs. Inquiries by The Tonga Independent revealed that his new titles were not legally sanctioned, leading to confusion among foreign partners.
Despite the official transfer of these portfolios back to the Palace, the Prime Minister continued to carry out his own foreign and defence policies, including issuing the secret invitation to Putin.
The Prime Minister even established a National Security Unit under his direct control, without legislative or Parliamentary oversight. The unit, staffed by a fellow Tonga High School alumnus, was focused on securitising climate change campaigns to target climate funding.
Previously, an internal document attributed to former Foreign Minister Fekita Utoikamanu highlighted growing tensions between Tonga and its traditional allies, particularly Australia and New Zealand. The document described their reactions as “frantic” following the revelation of the China-Solomon Islands security pact, indicating the failure of Western diplomacy in the region.
Danger close
In the lead-up to the Forum, Pacific Island Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa repeatedly urged foreign powers to refrain from engaging in geopolitics during the summit.
However, the Chair’s invitation to one of the world’s most controversial leaders—President Putin—appears to have contradicted this stance.
“There is a clear misunderstanding of geopolitics and the relevance of the Pacific Islands to global security in the 21st century,” said Tevita Motulalo, Director of the Indo-Pacific Institute in Nuku’alofa.
“The Pacific and its islands are inescapably at the heart of geopolitics and geostrategy, given the maritime nature of global security and the global economy.”
Motulalo further criticised the stance of distancing the Forum from geopolitical issues, describing it as “moralpolitik,” which he said only serves to confuse Pacific people and their partners.
“This approach does not help, especially when the Forum Chair himself has dragged the region into a dangerous entanglement with the world’s most heavily sanctioned regime, unnecessarily bringing danger close to the people and their interests,” Motulalo added.
“I don’t think Sovaleni appreciates the risks of inviting Putin or the potential sanctions the Pacific could face for doing so.”
