A document quoted by the Financial Times (FT) hardly cites high-ranking representatives at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. The Western speakers cited have long held strong pro-Russian views. This includes former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, who danced at her wedding to Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018. She does not regret this step to this day. According to the FT, Kneissl confirmed that she wanted to attend the event. She will be featured as a guest speaker at the June 14-17 event. In 2021, Kneissl became a member of the supervisory board of Russian oil company Rosneft. However, she had to step down from the post in 2022 due to her EU citizenship.
