Kneissl thanked Putin for the opportunity to live and work in Russia

Karin Kneissl, former head of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and head of the St. Petersburg State University's G.O.R.K.L. Center, thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the opportunity to live and work in Russia. She made her statement on June 5 at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026).

"Two and a half years ago [I] came from the south, from Lebanon, [to Russia]. And I am very grateful that it is now possible to live and work in Russia. Thank you, thank you for this opportunity!", Kneissl said in Russian.

She also noted that rumors began to spread in the West that she had allegedly worked for Russia for the past 40 years, after which she laughed.

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