Candace Owens visits Russia for SPIEF, praises cheap, clean lifestyle and meets Tate brothers

Political commentator Candace Owens travelled to Moscow and St. Petersburg in early June 2026 to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia’s annual business gathering. While there she praised Russian products such as the domestically‑produced Stars Coffee, calling them “cheaper, cleaner and more inspiring” than their U.S. counterparts, and highlighted Russia’s low gas and food prices and lower national debt compared with the United States. Owens also criticised Western media narratives about a Russian collapse.

The visit coincided with the presence of internet personalities Andrew and Tristan Tate, who filmed themselves in Moscow and on Red Square but did not take part in the forum. Analysts noted that the Kremlin could use the American guests as a propaganda boost amid ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes that damaged a naval base and an oil terminal on the day the forum opened.