Rubio said he was unaware of any official U.S. delegation to the SPIEF
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he knew nothing about an alleged official U.S. delegation set to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), held under the patronage of dictator Vladimir Putin.
The issue was raised by Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who asked why Washington had allegedly sent representatives to the forum—often referred to as the “Russian Davos”—to discuss Russia’s economic development amid the war against Ukraine.
“I am not aware of a delegation that went there. I know about this event, I know they are holding it, but I don’t think we’re talking about high-ranking officials,” Rubio replied.
After that, Durbin clarified that, according to his information, the delegation includes American actor Steven Seagal.
“I know who that is. He’s clearly not a government official,” the U.S. Secretary of State noted.
Earlier, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov reported that an official U.S. delegation would allegedly arrive at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum for the first time in several years.
According to him, the delegation is to be led by Rodney Mims Cook, head of the Commission on the Fine Arts under the U.S. President’s Office.
Thus, the U.S. State Department effectively distanced itself from the Russian side’s statements regarding the participation of an official U.S. delegation in the SPIEF, emphasizing that they were unaware of any information regarding the presence of high-ranking officials from Washington at the forum.
The Secretary of State made this statement during a hearing in the U.S. Congress.
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026), organizers plan to hold a separate session dedicated to cultural dialogue between Russia and the United States for the first time. One of the event’s keynote speakers will be Rodney Mims Cook Jr., who heads the U.S. Commission on the Arts.
