Russia's version of the Davos economic summit, the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, kicked off on Wednesday, days after Vladimir Putin was reportedly warned that he can no longer afford to sustain the war in Ukraine at its current pace. The forum has drawn an eclectic crowd, including several notable American figures attracted by Moscow's promotion of traditional values and anti-woke rhetoric.
Moscow is seeking to strengthen its economic footing after top finance officials and the central bank reportedly urged the Kremlin to rein in defence spending, as both Russia and Ukraine escalate costly aerial attacks on critical infrastructure. Defence officials told Putin that the Russian military will require billions of additional dollars this year to fund the conflict, according to Bloomberg News.
Rodney Mims Cook Jr.
Chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., is overseeing President Donald Trump's controversial White House ballroom extension and is listed as leading the official US delegation to the forum. He is the first US official to attend since 2017-18, according to the Kremlin, and the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Cook is scheduled to speak at a session on US-Russian cultural dialogue.
Cook told Russia's TASS state news agency that he is representing the US as a minister of culture and as a Christian, not as a politician. He noted past involvement in restoring Russian churches and recently gifted a religious icon to a monastery in St Petersburg. Robert Agee, head of the American Chamber of Commerce, called Cook's visit a positive signal that Trump wants to improve relations with Russia, though he stopped short of calling it an official delegation.
Candace Owens
Right-wing social media influencer Candace Owens, a former MAGA loyalist who later fell out with the Trump movement, is known for sharing unfounded conspiracy theories. These include allegations that Israel was involved in the assassination of her friend Charlie Kirk, and false claims that French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte was born male—leading to a defamation lawsuit from the Macrons. Owens will speak at a session on balancing parenthood in a large family with a successful career. She expressed a long-standing desire to visit St Petersburg as a Christian to see its cathedrals and churches.
Steven Seagal
Former Hollywood action star and martial artist Steven Seagal has long admired Putin, receiving a Russian passport in 2016 and serving as a special representative for Russia's Foreign Ministry on humanitarian ties with the US and Japan. He has described Putin as one of the great living world leaders, expressed scepticism about Russian interference in the 2016 US election, and supported Russia's annexation of Crimea and its war in Ukraine. Banned from Ukraine for five years due to national security concerns, Seagal is listed as a participant in a panel on culture.
Andrew and Tristan Tate
Influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan posted a video on X of themselves dancing at a Moscow airport ahead of the forum. Andrew shared a picture on Red Square, but their attendance at the forum itself remains unconfirmed. The brothers, former kickboxers with dual US-British citizenship, face criminal investigation in Romania on human trafficking charges since December 2022, which they deny. Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist, has amassed millions of online fans with his lavish lifestyle.
