Putin Expected to Meet ASEAN Leaders During June Summit in Russia

Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said on May 29 that she had spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about a summit next month between the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a post on X, Lazaro said she had a productive phone call with Lavrov to discuss preparations for a commemorative summit marking 35 years of Russia–ASEAN relations, to be held in Kazan, Russia, on June 17 and 18.

It will be Putin’s first in-person meeting with ASEAN leaders as a group since 2018, when he attended a Russia–ASEAN summit in Singapore.

ASEAN’s members include Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, East Timor, Brunei, and the Philippines.

Every year, a member state takes its turn to chair ASEAN, and in 2026, that honor falls to the Philippines.

‘Expanding Russia’s Strategic Partnership’

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the phone call between Lavrov and Lazaro took place on May 27.

“In view of Manila’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, the parties also discussed prospects for expanding Russia’s strategic partnership with ASEAN,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Lavrov and Lazaro “reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening constructive dialogue and practical cooperation” between Moscow and the Philippines, which will mark 50 years of diplomatic relations on June 2.

All ASEAN member states—with the exception of Vietnam and Laos, which abstained—voted to support a U.N. General Assembly resolution on March 2, 2022, which condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The bloc has maintained relations with Moscow as a “dialogue partner” and has had annual top-level meetings with senior Russian government officials.

Last year, Malaysia chaired ASEAN and invited U.S. President Donald Trump to its summit in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

On Oct. 26, 2025, Trump participated in a ceremonial signing of an expanded cease-fire between Thailand and Cambodia, following border clashes in July, part of a long-standing dispute over ownership of ancient temples.

Trump played a role in diplomatic negotiations by threatening to withhold trade agreements with both Thailand and Cambodia unless they reached a cease-fire.

While many ASEAN members have enduring political and economic ties with the United States, others, such as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, have close ties with Russia, China, or both.

Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines have all either imported Russian crude oil or expressed an interest in doing so, after fuel prices soared after the United States and its ally Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, leading to restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of Burma—also known as Myanmar—is unlikely to be allowed to attend the summit in Kazan, as the association has barred the participation of that country’s leaders since the February 2021 coup. Lower-level career diplomats have been allowed to attend.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.