Putin’s fixation on subjugating Ukraine and prevailing in his confrontation with Europe departs far from the preferences of the bureaucratic and business elites that flocked to St. Petersburg expecting to get at least some value for the pricey entry tickets. For Putin, their attendance was a manifestation of loyalty, which was habitually provided, but the background of drone attacks exposed the cracks of this performance.
Baev, Pavel K. (2026) SPIEF-26 highlighted Russia's economic troubles, Eurasia Daily Monitor (1–2). 8 June.
