Putin's daughters steal spotlight at St. Petersburg forum
A few days ago, another economic forum took place in St. Petersburg. This time, despite Vladimir Putin's visit, instead of world leaders, the Taliban, among others, appeared. However, this was not what caught the attention of the entire world. The public speeches of the Kremlin leader’s two daughters were much more interesting.
6:02 AM EDT, June 9, 2024
For many years, the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg was one of the most important events for the entire business world. The best businessmen, investors, and well-known politicians used to come to the city built by Tsar Peter.
This situation changed significantly after 2022 when Russia escalated the war in Ukraine. At that time, due to the international community turning away from Vladimir Putin's state, most global guests stopped coming to this event. The topics also shifted, and strategies for exiting the crisis were increasingly discussed.
At this year’s event, the presidents of Zimbabwe and Bolivia made appearances instead of the world's most significant politicians. The Taliban were also present, despite Russia distancing itself from them after the situation escalated. However, it turns out that much more conversation has been sparked by those who gave lectures than by the guests themselves.
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Putin's daughters at the economic forum in St. Petersburg
What could shock experts are the experts themselves who made statements. Among them were Maria and Katia, Vladimir Putin’s daughters. Interestingly, when Putin mentioned them, he did not refer to them as his daughters but rather as "those women."
Many observers of Russian politics note that this is a strong signal from the Kremlin leader. Except for the beginning of his career, he has made a point of distancing his family from politics. The divorce from Lyudmila, who was with Putin during his KGB career, did not help either. The daughters themselves also maintained their distance.
Although it is unlikely, some voices suggest that perhaps Katia might become Putin's successor in the Kremlin. In such a case, she could ensure her father a peaceful life until the end of his career. However, analyzing this thesis raises the question of whether Russian society would accept a woman as a leader or tsar.
