Animal-loving former Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl is committed to the conservation of the critically endangered Siberian tiger in Russia. According to a report by the Russian state media “Sputnik”, Kneissl donates 500,000 rubles (almost 4,800 euros) to the Laso Nature Reserve three times a year for this purpose. The reserve’s director, Sergei Aramilev, looks forward to welcoming Kneissl for a visit this year.
According to Aramilev, Kneissl’s donations will include the purchase of surveillance cameras and other equipment that will help prevent the Siberian tiger from becoming extinct. About Kneissl’s planned visit, Aramilev said on the sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok: “We will explain to her our activities in detail and we will try to show her the beauty of the southern Far East in all its forms.”
Kneissl had participated in the ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ in Vladivostok last year – the Spanish-language ‘Sputnik’ report left unclear whether he would also participate this year.
Kneissl was criticized for Russia-friendly statements
Kneissl served as Austria’s FPÖ-nominated foreign minister from 2017 until the 2019 Ibiza scandal. In May last year she resigned from her position on the supervisory board of the Russian oil company Rosneft. Nevertheless, even after the start of the war in Ukraine, she attracted attention with Russia-friendly statements.
Critics see it as entirely in the service of Russian propaganda. She not only invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to her wedding in Styria in 2018, but also met him in person several times. After her term in office, Kneissl left Austria, went to France and then to Lebanon. Today she will probably spend part of her time in Russia. During her stay in Austria, Kneissl lived in Seibersdorf near Vienna with ducks and dogs.
Kneissl often shows her love for animals on her Instagram profile:
The Siberian tiger’s habitat is now virtually limited to the area on the southeastern coast of Russia, near the borders with North Korea and China. It is said that there are around 500 copies left.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
