Putin hosts Russia forum seeking U.S. ties amid Ukraine war

Vladimir V. Putin’s annual economic forum opened in St. Petersburg with the war in Ukraine hanging over nearly every polished panel and banquet hall, even as the Kremlin rolled out Americans it clearly sees as useful. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, commonly called Russia’s “Davos,” was the fifth held since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. Its theme, “Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future,” left Ukraine out of the official program entirely, while a deadly Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv and Ukrainian drone activity in St. Petersburg underscored how far the conflict still reached.

The contrast was sharpest in the numbers. Reuters said Russia’s economy had been worth about $2.3 trillion in 2013, before the annexation of Crimea, and is projected at around $2.9 trillion this year. But growth has slowed to about 1% last year, the economy shrank 0.2% in the first quarter of 2026, and forecasters see just 0.4% growth for 2026, a sign of strain under sanctions, high interest rates and a strong ruble. Putin, who has led Russia as president or prime minister since 1999, was expected to headline the forum and present a picture of resilience that the figures do not fully support.

The U.S. presence made the political message impossible to miss. Rodney Mims Cook Jr., chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and overseer of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom extension, led the official American delegation, the first such U.S. participation since 2017-18 and since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Candace Owens, who has 6 million YouTube subscribers, landed in Moscow on June 1 and praised Russia online for its Christian expression and family-friendly atmosphere. She was scheduled to speak on balancing parenthood in a large family with a successful career, and was expected to appear on a panel with sanctioned Russian officials including Anna Kuznetsova and Yuliya Baranovskaya.

The guest list also included Steven Seagal, who received Russian citizenship in 2016 and now serves as Moscow’s special representative for humanitarian ties with the United States and Japan. Seagal has backed Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its war in Ukraine. Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate arrived in Moscow on June 2 and posted video of a Russian bread-and-salt welcome, though the purpose of the trip remained unclear. Their visit drew ridicule from Rybar, a pro-war Telegram channel with more than a million subscribers, which called it embarrassing.

Taken together, the forum showed how the Kremlin’s anti-Western line has become selective rather than absolute. Moscow denounces liberal Western governments, sanctions and “woke” politics, yet it still courts celebrities, influencers and officials who can validate its worldview, widen ideological fractures abroad or lend the appearance of international relevance. Analysts said that is the point: in Putin’s Russia, foreign influence is welcome when it can be turned into political capital.