31 May 2026
German representatives, AfD politicians to attend Putin’s economic forum
Members of Germany’s business community are set to officially attend the economic forum in the northern Russian city of St. Petersburg in early June after four years away following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The forum has been held under the auspices of the Russian President since 1997.
German participants will include Stefan Dürr, a dairy producer who works in Russia with Econiva Group, and Thomas Bruch, a longtime managing director of Globus Holding, its program said.
Matthias Schepp, president of the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce, defended the presence of German businessmen at the dpa news agency.
“At least considering the post-armistice period, we, like other major Western countries, want to maintain the economic bridge to Russia and protect the more than €100 billion ($116 billion) of German assets in Russia,” he said.
“The West should not leave Russia, its huge markets and its raw materials, to Asia for long,” Shepp said.
US and French representatives returned to the event last year to participate in its so-called trade dialogue component.
With Western sanctions still in place on thousands of Russian companies, organizations and individuals over the attack on Ukraine, trade volume between Germany and Russia has plunged to €10 billion ($11.66 billion) last year.
This compares with €59.7 billion in 2021 and €80 billion at its peak in 2012, making Germany Russia’s largest trading partner in the EU before the invasion began in 2022.
Organizers said several German delegates would also take part in a program about culture as a way to build bonds in a time of crisis.
These include Justus Frantz, founder of the popular Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, conductor and pianist, who received the Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2025.
Jörg Urban, chairman of the Saxony branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Markus Frohnmaier, chairman of the AfD in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin publisher Holger Friedrich and filmmaker and journalist Hubert Seipel are also expected to attend.