It’s been five years since former Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl danced with Russian President Vladimir Putin at her wedding. This summer she spent in a small cow village in Russia, where she says it is better than the Maldives or the Seychelles. There she allegedly expressed her anger about Europe in the sauna.
A few days ago it was announced that the Austrian ex-politician would move to the Russian metropolis of Saint Petersburg. There she heads the Gorky Center think tank at the University of St. Petersburg, it is said. She has been in Russia for several months – as it became known in the summer, the former minister rented a house in the village of Perushovo, about 300 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
The independent journalists’ association Bereg went to the village and asked the residents about Kneissl.
Kneissl claims to have been “expelled” from Europe.
“We live in a real cow village here,” one resident told the journalists’ association. Here you will find peace and quiet. Another local resident said that she had once been in the sauna with the former minister. Kneissl complained there that she had been “expelled” from Europe.
Her descriptions of ‘her home lost forever’ were very moving. The resident burst into tears, Bereg reports. “It’s a great tragedy for her,” the woman said. Kneissl also reported that “there is no democracy in Europe” and that human rights are constantly being violated.
Advocates closer cooperation with Russia
Karin Kneissl took office as Austria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in December 2017. She was nominated for the position by the FPÖ, which had signed a cooperation agreement with the Kremlin United Russia party. In 2017, FPÖ party members even traveled to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia. Kneissl advocated cooperation with Russia on the Iran nuclear deal and on conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria.
“Political refugee”
Today, the Russian voluntarily considers himself a ‘political refugee’. In the summer of 2022, she told the American newspaper ‘Washington Post’ that she no longer spoke to journalists and had left Austria because of ‘death threats’. Her website states that she left her home country in September 2022 – “due to constant death threats and a de facto work ban.” She first moved to France and emigrated to Lebanon in June 2022 under alleged media pressure.
No one could confirm to Bereg that the ex-minister had actually been exposed to such pressure. It is also unclear whether her life was actually in danger in Austria.
Well integrated into the village community
The villagers agree that the ex-minister is an “educated and calm woman”. She once danced with Putin (at her wedding, note), but now she is a completely normal resident of Petrushovo.
She once gave a conversation partner a ride in the car and said she wanted to buy a Lada Niwa (Russian-made car, ed.). Another person was most surprised by Kneissl’s dogs: “They seem so bad, but to her they are like family.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
