Germans at Russia's SPIEF: Who's really there?
Key takeaways
- Russian officials and media claim German businesses are comming back to the St.
- Petersburg International Economic Forum runs from June 3-6 in St.
- Before the war, the forum served as a venue for signing major investment agreements with foreign companies.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Russian officials and media claim German businesses are comming back to the St. Petersburg Economic Forum despite the war in Ukrainer. But who is actually attending Russia's flagship event this year?
https://p.dw.com/p/5Epcb The 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum runs from June 3-6 in St. Petersburg, Russia Image: Vladimir Smirnov/TASS/picture alliance Advertisement. This year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which opened on June 3, is the fifth to be held since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Before the war, the forum served as a venue for signing major investment agreements with foreign companies. Back then, the European Union was Russia's key economic partner, and the forum attracted prominent Western politicians, business leaders and senior executives.