This year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (Spief) opened on Wednesday. Shortly beforehand, however, Ukrainian drones set fire to the oil terminal in the port, causing thick plumes of smoke to billow over the city. Commentators examine the significance of the forum – once dubbed the “Russian Davos“ – and the impact of Ukraine’s attacks on Russia.
A hunted man in his own country
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Politician Andrei Pivovarov writes on Facebook (Russia):
“An airstrike on May 9 [targeting the military parade in Moscow] was only averted thanks to Trump’s intervention. Putin wants to impress the foreign dignitaries at the forum, but St. Petersburg greets the dawn against a backdrop of burning ruins. Thanks to new drone technologies and the disastrous performance of Russian air defences, Ukraine can pose a threat to virtually anywhere in the European part of Russia. Putin’s presence at any major event now is not just the appearance of the head of state, but also carries the risk of a new drone attack. He is turning from a lucky leader into a harbinger of doom.”
Potemkin village
There’s a huge gap between what the Spief aspires to be and what it really is, Cotidianul points out (Romania):
“Putin needs the event to convey three messages. He wants to show the domestic audience that the economy is holding up – and the West that the sanctions against Russia are not working. Non-Western partners are presented with an invincible Russia – a state that remains an important market and a useful ally. The problem is that there’s a huge gap between the message and the reality. While the Kremlin can fill the halls with delegations, announce bilateral talks and speak of a new global architecture, it cannot hide the fact that Russia has failed to compensate for the loss of Western capital, Western technology, and access to international financial markets.”
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