Wong is set to attend the Russia-ASEAN summit, which will take place from June 17 to 19 and mark the 35th anniversary of dialogue relations between Moscow and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The newspaper’s sources did not confirm whether Wong would meet Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who is expected to host the summit.
Relations between Singapore and Russia deteriorated after Singapore strongly condemned Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and repeatedly criticized Russia’s actions in parliament and at the United Nations.
Singapore was the only ASEAN member state to impose sanctions on Russia.
At the time, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Singapore’s parliament that the issue was existential for a small country such as Singapore. He said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a clear and gross violation of international norms and an unacceptable precedent.
Russia responded by adding Singapore to its list of “unfriendly countries” in March 2022.
Why the Malacca Strait matters
The visit comes as global attention remains focused on threats to major maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts are also increasingly watching another critical chokepoint: the Malacca Strait near Singapore.
The Malacca Strait is the shortest maritime route linking the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, making it a key corridor for trade between East Asia and the West.
Roughly a quarter of global maritime trade passes through the strait, along with an estimated 35% to 40% of seaborne oil shipments. By comparison, about 20% of seaborne oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait stretches for about 900 kilometers between Indonesia on one side and Malaysia, Singapore and part of Thailand on the other. At its narrowest point near Singapore, it is less than 3 kilometers wide.
Singapore, located at the southern entrance to the strait, is the world’s second-busiest container port, handling more than 40 million containers.