Russia Rails Against the West but Welcomes Candace Owens and Andrew Tate

Article excerpt

At Putin's annual St. Petersburg economic forum, Russia simultaneously denounces the West while rolling out the red carpet for American right-wing figures Candace Owens and Andrew Tate. The contradiction reflects a deeper split among Russian elites: some push for complete Western isolation, others push to rebuild ties with sympathetic foreign voices. The forum, Putin's flagship showcase for investors and policymakers, has become a stage where Russia courts selective Western figures willing to engage with Moscow, even as official rhetoric remains fiercely anti-Western.