Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted leaders and senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kazan, Russia, for a two-day summit, AP reported on June 18, marking the first such leaders' summit since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Co-chaired by Putin and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila's capacity as 2026 ASEAN chair, the summit produced the Kazan Declaration marking 35 years of ASEAN-Russia relations, a 2026-30 cooperation plan and joint statements on culture and energy, and Putin also held bilateral talks with ASEAN leaders.

The summit was timed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia ties, giving Moscow a diplomatic pretext to convene an ASEAN-level summit after years of mostly bilateral engagement. Meanwhile, the Iran war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have made energy and food security more urgent for ASEAN governments, which can frame engagement with Russia narrowly around these needs.