Putin's Economic Forum: Insights from a Soviet-American Moderator.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) plenary session featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin was moderated by Dmitri Simes, a conservative U.S. political scientist and historian of Soviet origin, after attempts to attract marquee names from the Western media failed. The Kremlin had reportedly even considered former Fox News star Tucker Carlson for the role. Selecting a reputable foreigner as moderator is important to Putin because it gives additional legitimacy to the plenary discussion. Simes steered clear of any questions that could have challenged Putin and repeatedly voiced pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian sentiment during the session.