ST. PETERSBURG, June 6. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement on tightening sanctions against Russia is driven by an understanding that the outcome of the special military operation favors Russia, Russian presidential adviser and Executive Secretary of the SPIEF organizing committee Anton Kobyakov said.

"Pay attention to how the United States is trying to walk away from the negotiations. Secretary of State Rubio openly says they see no point. The United States ignited the conflict and dragged everyone into it, and now they pretend they can act as mediators. In reality, this is generating enormous profits. Why did Marco Rubio and the US Congress propose tightening sanctions the day before yesterday? It is very simple. They realized that the outcome of the special military operation is not in their favor, but in ours. And now what do they need to do? They need to make life as difficult as possible for us," Kobyakov said.

The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) is taking place on June 3-6. This year, the event is held under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: The Path to a Stable Future." Saudi Arabia is the guest country at SPIEF. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy.

The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, and the Ensuring Drug Security Forum. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival and the traditional SPIEF Sports Games will take place. This year, Russia’s national economic development institution VEB.RF is the title partner of SPIEF.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.