Former Austrian minister Karin Kneissl moved to Russia, along with her two ponies, which she transported to the country via a Russian military plane.

Kneissl, in a conversation with Russia's state-owned Tass news agency, revealed that she would be moving to St Petersburg to work at the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues [GORKI].

The think tank was set up to "help define the policies for the Russian Federation" with a focus on the Near and Middle East.&nbsp;

"I co-founded the Gorki centre and manage it," Tass news agency quoted Kneissl as saying. "Since there is a lot of work there and it requires a lot of attention, I cannot do this in passing. I decided to move to St. Petersburg for this work."&nbsp;

As per a report by Russian investigative website The Insider, Kneissl's ponies were flown to Saint Petersburg on a military aircraft last week from the Russian air base at Hmeimim in Syria.

"It was impossible for me to drive a lorry through Syria under the circumstances of the war," Kneissl confirmed to news agency AFP on Wednesday (September 13).

"Due to sanctions, there are no flights or DHL (shipping service)," Kneissl wrote on Telegram, flabbergasted that her "move has become a political issue". &nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-not-for-sale-taipei-slams-elon-musk-over-latest-china-comments-635952">Taiwan 'not for sale': Taipei slams Elon Musk over ‘blindly flattering’ comments for China</a>

In the year 2018, the then-foreign minister of neutral Austria, Kneissl made headlines when she invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to her wedding in Austria and also danced with him. She left the government the very next year and moved to France in September 2020.

The 58-year-old claimed that she was pressured to leave which is why she had temporarily settled in a small village in Lebanon.

In the year 2021, Kneissl joined the Board of Directors of the Russian oil giant Rosneft.

She stepped down from her position in May 2022 after the European Parliament passed a resolution threatening sanctions against Europeans still on the boards of major Russian companies.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

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Former Austrian minister Karin Kneissl moved to Russia, along with her two ponies, which she transported to the country via a Russian military plane. Kneissl, in a conversation with Russia's state-owned Tass news agency, revealed that she would be moving to St Petersburg to work at the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues [GORKI].

Former Austrian minister Karin Kneissl moved to Russia, along with her two ponies, which she transported to the country via a Russian military plane. Kneissl, in a conversation with Russia's state-owned Tass news agency, revealed that she would be moving to St Petersburg to work at the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues [GORKI]. The think tank was set up to "help define the policies for the Russian Federation" with a focus on the Near and Middle East. "I co-founded the Gorki centre and manage it," Tass news agency quoted Kneissl as saying. "Since there is a lot of work there and it requires a lot of attention, I cannot do this in passing. I decided to move to St. Petersburg for this work." As per a report by Russian investigative website The Insider, Kneissl's ponies were flown to Saint Petersburg on a military aircraft last week from the Russian air base at Hmeimim in Syria. "It was impossible for me to drive a lorry through Syria under the circumstances of the war," Kneissl confirmed to news agency AFP on Wednesday (September 13). "Due to sanctions, there are no flights or DHL (shipping service)," Kneissl wrote on Telegram, flabbergasted that her "move has become a political issue". Also read: Taiwan 'not for sale': Taipei slams Elon Musk over ‘blindly flattering’ comments for China In the year 2018, the then-foreign minister of neutral Austria, Kneissl made headlines when she invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to her wedding in Austria and also danced with him. She left the government the very next year and moved to France in September 2020. The 58-year-old claimed that she was pressured to leave which is why she had temporarily settled in a small village in Lebanon. In the year 2021, Kneissl joined the Board of Directors of the Russian oil giant Rosneft. She stepped down from her position in May 2022 after the European Parliament passed a resolution threatening sanctions against Europeans still on the boards of major Russian companies. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Former Austrian minister moves to Russia, flies her two ponies on board Russian military plane

The Austrian foreign minister is on a visit to India he has said that the Russian president Vladimir Putin miscalculated his invasion of Ukraine and thought that Ukrainians will not put up a fight. Speaking to our principal diplomatic correspondent Siddhant Sibbal, the minister spoke about the Austrian model of neutrality and why the Russian invasion will impact global politics for the next coming years.

Putin "miscalculated" his invasion of Ukraine, says Austrian foreign minister

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Former Austrian minister moves to Russia, flies her two ponies on board Russian military plane

Putin "miscalculated" his invasion of Ukraine, says Austrian foreign minister