Ex-Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl Relocates to Russia, Establishes Think Tank

Karin Kneissl, the ex-Foreign Minister of Austria who invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to her wedding in 2018, has announced that she's moved to St. Petersburg and is setting up a think tank there. Her move comes amidst criticism for her pro-Russia views during her tenure as foreign minister.

The former Austrian foreign minister, Karin Kneissl, who had controversially invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to her wedding and danced a waltz with him at the 2018 reception, has announced that she has relocated to St. Petersburg in Russia to establish a think tank. The announcement was made on Wednesday via the messaging app Telegram.

Karin Kneissl's Shift from Austria to Russia

Kneissl, aged 58 years old and affiliated with the right-wing Freedom Party, held office as foreign minister from 2017 until 2019. During her tenure, she faced consistent criticism in both Austrian and German media for her apparent pro-Russia views. Her decision to invite Putin to her wedding and share a dance with him raised eyebrows across Europe. This incident occurred only months after Russia was implicated in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia using Novichok nerve agent on UK soil.

Transportation of Personal Belongings

In an intriguing detail shared by Kneissl herself, it came to light that her ponies which were previously sheltered in Syria have also been transported to Russia via a Russian military plane. Furthermore, she revealed that she moved her "books, clothes and ponies from Marseille (France) to Beirut" in June 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine which subsequently led France banishing her.

Establishment of Gorki Centre

At the Eastern Economic Forum held earlier this week in Vladivostok—Russia’s far eastern city—Kneissl informed Tass (a state-owned news agency) about setting up Gorki Centre—a think tank associated with fostering intellectual discourse concerning international relations and geopolitics presumably favoring Russian perspectives given Kneissl’s political inclination.

The move by the former Austrian foreign minister highlights a growing trend of Western politicians aligning themselves with Russia. It also raises questions about the extent to which Kneissl's pro-Russia views may have influenced her decisions while she was in office, and what this could mean for Austria's relationship with Russia moving forward.

In conclusion, Karin Kneissl’s relocation to St. Petersburg and establishment of a think tank is likely to fuel further debates on the influence of Russia over European politics. As she continues her work from Russian soil, it would be interesting to see how her perspectives shape up in future discourses surrounding international relations and geopolitics.