Germans at Russia's SPIEF: Who's really there?

Article excerpt

Russian officials and state media claim German businesses are returning to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, signaling a thaw in Western engagement. But DW's investigation reveals the reality is murkier: while some German representatives are attending, many are lower-level officials or individuals with questionable ties rather than major corporate delegations. The forum, Russia's flagship economic event, has become a barometer of how isolated Moscow has become, and how carefully Western businesses navigate the geopolitical minefield of doing business with a sanctioned nation.