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Former Austrian foreign minister who danced with Putin at her wedding emigrated due to ‘death threats’

According to Kneissl, she left the country due to “death threats” and now does not give interviews.

There are no details regarding her emigration in the material of the publication. She was asked to comment on an article about the influence of the Russian Federation on Austria and the case of ex-employee of the Austrian internal security service Egisto Ott, who is suspected of working for Russia.

According to The Washington Post, Ott, along with other Austrian intelligence officials, was developing a plan to reorganize the security service into a new department within the Foreign Office during the period when Kneisl was head of the Foreign Ministry.

The documents of the investigation, which the publication got acquainted with, do not say whether she knew about this plan. In a commentary to The Washington Post, Kneissl said she knew nothing about it and “never heard” of Ott.

Context:

Kneisl headed the Austrian Foreign Ministry from December 2017 to June 2019.

August 18, 2018 for the wedding of Kneisl and financier Wolfgang Meilinger Russian President Vladimir Putin came at the invitation of Kneisl. He attended the celebration on his way to Germany, where he had a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. He brought with him the Kuban Cossack choirwho sang at the wedding and gave the newlyweds painting, an old oil extractor and a Tula samovar. He also danced with the bride and made a toast in German.

Putin’s invitation to the wedding drew criticism in Austria. Kneissl stated that does not regret his decision.

In 2021 the Russian government put forward by Kneisl, as well as former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as candidates for the board of directors of Rosneft. Both were appointed on June 1 independent directors of Rosneft.

In May 2022 – almost three months after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine – Kneisl and Shroder left their positions in Rosneft.

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