Former Austrian Foreign Minister who danced with Putin settles in Russia

Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, who danced with Russian President Vladimir Putin at her wedding, has moved to Russia and settled in the village of Petrushovo, Ryazan Oblast.

Source: European Pravda, citing local media

Details: Kneissl made headlines in 2018 when Putin attended her wedding. The two were photographed dancing.

Kneissl during a holiday in the Russian village of Petrushovo

During an interview with Russian media, Kneissl said she was renting a vacation house in the village of Petrushovo, Ryazan Oblast, about 350 kilometres southeast of Moscow. Kneissl was spotted attending a village celebration on 5 August, at the end of which she addressed the locals in Russian.

"I am now living in Petrushovo, and I like this atmosphere. I like the way children play here. The atmosphere here is incredible, not only now but, it seems, every day. When I look outside, I see chickens, ducks, goats – it's my world, it's also my world as I used to live in a small village in Austria," she said.

In an interview with a local media outlet, Kneissl said she would stay in the village for at least another month. She did not specify whether she would spend longer, as she "does not know what her future holds".

Earlier, Kneissl delivered a speech at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, and last week, she attended the Russia-Africa Forum.

Responding to whether she maintains ties with Putin, Kneissl said she last saw the Russian president in 2019.

Background: 

• Kneissl served as Austria's Foreign Minister from 2017-2019 and joined the board of Russian oil giant Rosneft as an independent director in 2021. She resigned from the Rosneft board in May 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
• Kneissl's personal website says, "Karin Kneissl involuntarily left her home country as a result of persistent death threats and a de facto ban on working in Austria".

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