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Are German businesses returning to Russia's SPIEF meeting?

Deutsche Welle · 🇩🇪 public Germany · · 967 words · By Oleg Loginov; Sofia Serova
Geopolitical Conflict Russian Disinformation Economic Decoupling
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What to know about Geopolitical Conflict

Deutsche Welle reports: Are German businesses returning to Russia's SPIEF meeting?.

Claims checked 21
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Deutsche Welle reports: Are German businesses returning to Russia's SPIEF meeting?.

Why it matters

Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which opened on June 3, is the fifth to be held since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Common ground

Before the war, the forum served as a venue for signing major investment agreements with foreign companies.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dw.com/en/germans-at-russias-spief-whos-really-there/a-77416709?maca…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 21 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 11
check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified 2
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Claim 1: “Sharova's only link to Germany is the acquisition of the Russian assets of German industrial group Viessmann Climate Solutions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 2: “In 2025, bilateral trade fell below €10 billion, down sharply from nearly €60 billion in 2021.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 3: “In 2016... Eppinger became head of the Russian office of German-Swedish joint venture Metalock Engineering”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 4: “Metalock Engineering ceased all cooperation with its Russian subsidiary and currently "has no business relations with Masterlock, the company founded by Mr. Eppinger"”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 5: “The St. Petersburg Economic Forum is hosting several lawmakers from Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who serve in the European Parliament, the German Bundestag and regional parliaments across Germany.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “Russian business daily Kommersant also reported that "Germany is sending an official business delegation" to the event for the first time in many years.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result mentions that 'Russian officials and media claim German businesses are coming back', but the specific attribution to Kommersant reporting an 'official business delegation' is not corroborated by a second independent source in the evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sophie (Sophiko) Paatovna Shevardnadze (Russian: София (Софико) Паатовна Шеварднадзе; Georgian: სოფო “სოფიკო” შევარდნაძე, romanized: sopo “sopik'o” shevardnadze; born 23 September 1978) is a Georgian/…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Shevardnadze
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 4, 2026 ... Russian officials and media claim German businesses are comming back to the St. Petersburg Economic Forum despite the war in Ukraine.
https://www.dw.com/en/germans-at-russias-spief-whos-really-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 3, 2026 ... Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), according to FT, sending plumes of smoke over the city during “an event Vladimir Putin has ...
https://www.russiamatters.org/news/russia-review/russia-revi…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 7: “the leaders of Uzbekistan and Tanzania, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Samia Suluhu Hassan, are set to share the stage at a joint panel with Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web sources confirm that Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Samia Suluhu Hassan shared a panel or held meetings with Vladimir Putin at SPIEF 2026.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of current heads of state and heads of government. In some cases, mainly in presidential systems, one leader is head of state and head of government. In other cases, mainly in semi-pres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_heads_of_state…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A number of foreign leaders have visited Russia since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials, and visiting areas around the country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heads_of_state_and_gov…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of state leaders in the 2020s (2020 to today), such as the heads of state, heads of government, or the general secretaries of single-party states. These polities are generally sovereign…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_state_leaders_in_the_2…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 8: “This year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which opened on June 3, is the fifth to be held since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) opened on June 3, 2026. The claim that it is the fifth since the 2022 invasion is mathematically consistent with annual forums (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (IATA: PIE, ICAO: KPIE, FAA LID: PIE) is a public/military airport in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay Area. It is right on the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Pete–Clearwater_Internatio…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Pulkovo Airport (Russian: Аэропорт Пулково, IPA: [ˈpuɫkəvə], Internal code: ПЛК) (IATA: LED, ICAO: ULLI) is an international airport serving St. Petersburg, Russia. It is the 2nd-busiest airport in Ru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulkovo_Airport
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The St. Petersburg Street Circuit is a street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, that currently hosts both the NTT IndyCar Series (Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg) and the NASCA…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburg_Street_Circuit
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 9: “Dürr has held Russian citizenship since 2013”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Stefan Dürr's citizenship.
schedule
Claim 10: “Leo Eppinger... also holds both Russian and German citizenships.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 11: “Bruch is ranked 2,386th on the 2026 Forbes Billionaires List, with an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion (€1.4 billion).”
VERIFIED
A specific web search result for Forbes' 2026 Billionaires list explicitly identifies Thomas Bruch as #2386.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2026. The 40th annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires found a record 3,428 billionaires with a total net worth of $20.1 trillion. This represents an increase of 309 members and $4 trillion com…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World's_Billionaires
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thomas Bruch is #2386 on Forbes' 2026 Billionaires list. Read more about Thomas Bruch, their experience, their asset summary, and more here.Hover to reveal net worth by year. Forbes Lists.
https://www.forbes.com/profile/thomas-bruch/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2025: The Top 200.For daily updated net worths of all 3,028 billionaires, check out our real-time billionaires ranking.
https://www.forbes.com.au/news/billionaires/forbes-worlds-bi…
schedule
Claim 12: “Polina Sharova... owns Yekaterinburg-based Hermes-Ural, a manufacturer of industrial equipment.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 13: “In St. Petersburg, Bruch is representing Russian Hyperglobus, which operates hypermarkets solely in Russia”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Thomas Bruch is representing Russian Hyperglobus at SPIEF 2026.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 3, 2026 ... " Billionaire Thomas Bruch, linked to the Globus/Hyperglobus retail ... SPIEF 2026 is trying to prove that Russia remains a center of gravity.
https://www.facebook.com/tvpworldcom/posts/fire-and-explosio…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 4, 2026 ... Petersburg, Bruch is representing Russian Hyperglobus, which operates hypermarkets solely in Russia, the spokesperson said. He added that ...
https://www.dw.com/en/germans-at-russias-spief-whos-really-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 13, 2025 ... SPIEF 2026: From Russia's Davos to a Multipolar Window – AI ... " Billionaire Thomas Bruch, linked to the Globus/Hyperglobus retail ...
https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia/posts/-briefing-by-russia…
help
Claim 14: “Stefan Dürr... His Ekoniva Group is one of the country's largest milk producers.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Stefan Dürr or Ekoniva Group.
check_circle
Claim 15: “Among the forum attendees, according to the official program, is Thomas Bruch, a shareholder in the German retail chain operator Globus”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm Thomas Bruch's attendance at the forum and his role as a shareholder in Globus/Russian hypermarkets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 4, 2026 ... Among the forum attendees, according to the official program, is Thomas Bruch ... Bruch is ranked 2,386th on the 2026 Forbes Billionaires List ...
https://www.dw.com/en/germans-at-russias-spief-whos-really-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 3, 2026 ... "Thomas Bruch is attending the Economic Forum in St Petersburg in his capacity as a shareholder in the Russian hypermarkets," Globus Holding ...
https://www.reuters.com/world/putins-davos-haunted-by-war-st…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 ... “Thomas Bruch is attending the Economic Forum in St Petersburg in his capacity as a shareholder in the Russian hypermarkets,” Globus Holding ...
https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/06…
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Claim 16: “former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was spotted in Moscow on the eve of the forum, German broadcaster ntv reported.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 17: “since January 2025 the company's Russian stores are no longer part of Globus Holding”
VERIFIED
Grokipedia evidence explicitly states that the Russian stores were spun off into an independent entity named OOO Hyperglobus, allowing the parent company to refocus.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Globus Holding ; 1828 1966 (first Globus hypermarket) · Franz Bruch · Sankt Wendel. ,. Germany · 77 hypermarkets in Germany and the Czech Republic; 90 DIY stores in ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_Holding
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — These stores were spun off into an independent entity named OOO Hyperglobus, also referred to as Globus Russia, allowing the parent company to refocus on core ...
https://grokipedia.com/page/Globus_Holding
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dec 20, 2016 ... From 1 January, the company will incorporate the total volume from its Russian and Czech locations into EMD agreements. There are 11 ...
https://www.esmmagazine.com/supply-chain/globus-group-joins-…
info
Claim 18: “According to Putin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev, Russia is looking forward to welcoming "a large delegation of German companies" in St. Petersburg.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While web results confirm a German delegation arrived at SPIEF 2026, the specific quote attributed to Kirill Dmitriev regarding 'a large delegation of German companies' is not explicitly mirrored across multiple independent sources in the provided evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 11 March 1961), also known as MBZ or MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who has served as the third president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dh…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_bin_Zayed_Al_Nahyan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A delegation from Germany arrived at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) to discuss the working conditions of about 1.5 thousand German companies in Russia.
https://en.iz.ru/en/node/2108942
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web search NEUTRAL — Dmitriev stated that the tunnel would be built in accordance with these plans, describing the initiative as one of the major infrastructure projects between Russia and the US. Dmitriev first spoke pub…
https://harici.com.tr/en/russia-signs-trillions-of-rubles-in…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 19: “Russia designated DW as an "undesirable" organization in December.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 20: “The owner of Germany's daily newspaper Berliner Zeitung Holger Friedrich is also attending the forum.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 21: “The Russian branch of Metalock Engineering was transformed into the similarly sounding Masterlock Engineering in 2024”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.