Putin's daughters steal the spotlight at St. Petersburg economic forum

A few days ago, another economic forum took place in St. Petersburg. This time, despite Vladimir Putin's visit, instead of world leaders, representatives from 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 turned out to be much more interesting.

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 came 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 turning away from Vladimir Putin's state, most world guests stopped attending this event. The topics also shifted, increasingly discussing how to exit the crisis.

At this year's event, the presidents of Zimbabwe and Bolivia appeared instead of the world's most important politicians. The Taliban were also present, despite Russia distancing itself from them after the escalation. However, it turns out that much more is being said about those who gave lectures than about the guests.

What could shock experts is the experts themselves giving statements. Among them were Maria and Katia, Vladimir Putin's daughters. Interestingly, when Putin mentioned them, he did not call them his daughters but referred to them as "those women."

Many observers of Russian politics note that this is a strong impulse and signal given by the Kremlin leader. Except for the beginning of his career, he has strongly distanced his family from politics. The divorce from Lyudmila, who was with Putin during his KGB career, did not help either. The daughters themselves also kept their distance.

Although it is unlikely, there are voices suggesting that perhaps Katia might become Putin's successor in the Kremlin. In such a case, she could guarantee her father a peaceful life until the end of his career. However, when analysing this thesis, the question arises whether the specific Russian society will accept a woman as a leader/tsar.