Putin Hosts ASEAN Leaders in Kazan Amid G7 Summit Discussions

Leaders from across Southeast Asia are arriving in Kazan on Wednesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin gears up to host the ASEAN-Russia summit.

Leaders from 11 countries including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore will be attending the meeting, where they are expected to discuss strategic partnerships and potential new areas of political, economic and humanitarian cooperation.

ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was formed in Bangkok in 1967 to promote regional peace efforts and accelerate economic growth.

The other ASEAN member states include Myanmar, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

In a greeting message to his guests on Wednesday, Putin said the event would mark the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations and outlined some of the key issues to be talked over.

"Today, we are facing a new set of tasks," Putin said. "These include the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence-based digital solutions and the development of resilient digital platforms".

He added: "Significant potential also exists in the fields of energy and food security, the exchange of advanced technologies, and cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, as well as in transport and logistics".

It comes as the G7 met in France this week, with leaders discussing topics including international peace and security, migration and technology, while also pledging "unwavering" support to Ukraine as it continues to repel Moscow's full-scale invasion, which it launched in February 2022.

In a joint statement issued from the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US said they would continue to ramp up pressure on Russia's war economy.

"We will strengthen our sanctions, including those on the oil and gas sectors," the statement said.

"We consider this the right moment to proceed with additional measures, as President Trump has delivered a deal that we support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz," it continued, touting US President Donald Trump's recently announced deal to end the war in Iran. The deal is due to be signed in Switzerland on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also met with his G7 counterparts to renew his pleas for more air defense missiles, a winter support package, and increased pressure on Russia.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said they had agreed on the "additional strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense" and new measures against Moscow.