ASEAN Leaders to Hold Summit with Putin in Russia in June

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hold a commemorative summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian city of Kazan on June 17-18, Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said Friday. Lazaro posted on X that she discussed the meeting during a phone call with Russian officials.

The Russian Embassy in Manila said the call also covered prospects for expanding Russia’s strategic partnership with ASEAN.

ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam. Most voted for a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, yet the bloc has kept Moscow as a dialogue partner.

Vietnam and Laos abstained from that resolution. Several members, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, have imported or expressed interest in Russian crude oil after fuel prices rose following the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran in February.

Jr. will attend the summit, a Philippine government official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Singapore’s leader has not confirmed attendance; the city-state condemned the Ukraine invasion and imposed sanctions. Myanmar’s top leader is barred from ASEAN summits after the 2021 military takeover. Lower-level diplomats from Myanmar may attend instead.