U.S. President Joe Biden responds to a question about Ukraine during an event to announce his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2022.
U.S. President Joe Biden responds to a question about Ukraine during an event to announce his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2022. Reuters / KEVIN LAMARQUE

U.S. President Joe Biden discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's role in the Indo-Pacific with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore at the White House on Tuesday.

The two leaders sat down for talks in the Oval Office and were later to deliver remarks in what was described as a joint press statement.

Biden told reporters as he opened the meeting that the United States supports implementing its Indo-Pacific strategy despite the current focus on Europe during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"Even as we address the crisis in Europe, my administration is strongly supportive of moving rapidly to implement the Indo-Pacific strategy," Biden said.

Ahead of the meeting, a senior administration official told reporters the United States was pleased with Singapore's decision to impose sanctions and export controls on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine last month.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that it says are not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbor's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

"We are very happy with what Singapore has done and I think that the key is going to be to continue looking for ways in which we can expand our cooperation on this and other issues," the official said.

Biden had been due to host leaders of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Singapore is a member, this week, but the summit was postponed because not all leaders could attend on the March 28 and 29 dates announced by the White House.

The official reiterated that the White House is working to reschedule the event. "We believe the clock is ticking and we want to try and get this done," the official said, noting there would be "announcements" during Lee's visit while declining to offer details.

Lee's trip comes after Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited Singapore last year. Biden last spoke with Lee at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Rome.

Singapore is a key financial and trading center and has been keen to hear details of U.S. plans for an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in a region Washington says remains a key priority despite the Ukraine crisis.

The Biden administration announced an Indo-Pacific strategy in February in which it vowed to commit more diplomatic and security resources to the region to counter what it sees as China's bid to create a regional sphere of influence.