The participation of German entrepreneurs in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) has sparked criticism from parties in the ruling coalition in Germany - the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). "German companies that are cozying up to a war criminal in St. Petersburg are undermining our national security interests and damaging Germany's international reputation," stated CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter in an interview with Handelsblatt, published on Wednesday, June 3.

He criticized the German business representatives participating in SPIEF, stating that they are indirectly strengthening Russia "and contributing to the normalization of a war that violates international law." Kizevetter called on the federal government to unequivocally condemn such actions.

Expert on economic policy from the parliamentary faction of the SPD, Sebastian Roloff, called participation in the forum a "catastrophic signal," despite the fact that it may be legal as long as it does not violate EU sanctions. According to Roloff, "it is still far from the time for normalizing relations - neither political nor economic."

Participants of SPIEF from Germany have long been doing business in Russia.

Participants in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) include, among others, co-owner of the Globus Holding consortium Thomas Bruch and founder of the agricultural holding "EkoNiva" Stefan Dürr. Globus reported to Handelsblatt that Bruch is attending the forum as a co-owner of the Russian hypermarket chain "Globus." Dürr has been involved in milk production in Russia for many years and holds Russian citizenship.

From Germany to St. Petersburg, according to the official SPIEF program, two members of the ultra-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) in the Bundestag, Steffen Kotré and Matthias Moosdorf, as well as the head of the AfD branch in Saxony, Jörg Urban, have also set off. Additionally, AFP reports on the participation of Bundestag deputy Markus Frohnmaier at the forum. In response to an AFP inquiry, he stated the purpose of the trip is "to maintain open communication channels in challenging circumstances and to represent German interests." The trip of AfD deputies to the forum in St. Petersburg has faced criticism in the Bundestag.

The St. Petersburg Economic Forum, running from June 3 to 6, positions itself as a platform for dialogue between the business circles of Russia, "emerging markets, and the world at large." This year, according to the event organizers, representatives from over 130 countries, including the USA, are expected to attend.

#WorldNews2026 , #MarketTurbulence , #GlobalEconomicNews