"Russia's St. Petersburg Economic Forum Struggles to Attract Western Executives"
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's version of the Davos forum, is struggling to attract participants due to sanctions and boycotts, but is still charging foreign attendees over $25,000 to attend. Most attendees are from ex-Soviet states, Africa, Cuba, and the UAE, with no representatives from the US or Europe. Even the forum's organizers are complaining about the high fees given the poor turnout, but it's unlikely the event will be dropped from Russia's calendar.