Russia's Economic Forum Struggles with Isolation and Lack of Interest.

Poor turnout at Putin's economic forum in St. Petersburg is another sign that Russia's war on Ukraine is isolating it from the global economy. The event failed to draw big names from the West, and even countries that were once neighbors of the Soviet Union were a no-show. Most in attendance were lower-level politicians from the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia – areas that Russia has become closer to economically as Western sanctions cut it off from traditional avenues of trade. Experts have warned that the moat between Russia and the Western world could be lethal to Russia's economy, with some even estimating that the nation could become a failed state within the next decade.