Is the US attending Russia's SPIEF?
Russia’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) has seen the number of Western participants progressively dwindle over the years following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The US has not attended since 2017.
This year the US is attending, I think. US Commission of Fine Arts Chairman Rodney Mims Cook, Jr. was appointed to the government commission by Trump. His presence has been much touted by the Kremlin, which described him as the leader of the first official US delegation at SPIEF for many years.
Cook told Russian state media on Wednesday he had permission from Trump and the State Department to visit Russia. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday that he was “not aware” of an official delegation attending, despite Moscow’s suggestions otherwise.
The US has not attended since 2017.
This year the US is attending, I think. US Commission of Fine Arts Chairman Rodney Mims Cook, Jr. was appointed to the government commission by Trump. His presence has been much touted by the Kremlin, which described him as the leader of the first official US delegation at SPIEF for many years.
Cook told Russian state media on Wednesday he had permission from Trump and the State Department to visit Russia. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday that he was “not aware” of an official delegation attending, despite Moscow’s suggestions otherwise.
