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Current Affairs

Singapore PM Lawrence Wong to visit Russia’s Kazan, first since Ukraine war sanctions

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is set to visit the Russian city of Kazan next week in a trip that would mark the first high-level…

By Samantha Johnson / June 10, 2026
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is set to visit the Russian city of Kazan next week in a trip that would mark the first high-level talks between leaders from both sides since the city state imposed sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, sources have confirmed.
Wong will attend the Asean–Russia Commemorative Summit from June 17 to June 19 to mark the 35th anniversary of dialogue relations between Moscow and Asean, according to sources who spoke to This Week in Asia on condition of anonymity. They did not confirm if Wong will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Putin will reportedly host the summit.

Diplomatic ties between the two countries have been cold since Singapore strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 on multiple occasions in parliament and the UN, and was the only Association of Southeast Asian Nations member to impose sanctions on Moscow.

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In response, Russia blacklisted Singapore, placing it on its list of “unfriendly countries” in March 2022.

This Week in Asia has contacted Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

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In a ministerial statement in the wake of the Ukraine war, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told parliament that the issue was an existential one for a small country like Singapore and said: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear and gross violation of the international norms and a completely unacceptable precedent.”

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