Trump’s ballroom commissioner leads US delegation to ‘Russia’s Davos’

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The U.S. official overseeing President Trump’s controversial White House ballroom project led an official delegation to Russia’s premier economic forum, underscoring the president’s outreach to Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin escalates the war against Ukraine.

Rodney Mims Cook Jr., who serves as chair of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, is attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), dubbed the Russian “Davos,” which kicked off on Wednesday and runs through Saturday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, told senators on Wednesday that he was not aware of the delegation.

“I’m aware of the event. I know they were hosting one, but I don’t think it would have been a high-level official,” he said in response to questions about why the U.S. sent a delegation.

Cook told Russian media in May that both the SPIEF organizing committee and the State Department cleared his participation, according to The Moscow Times.

“As Chair of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, nominated by President Trump, Rodney Mims Cook Jr. attended the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum,” an administration official responded to The Hill when asked if the State Department provided approval for his travel.

“He participated in this forum to further bilateral cultural ties.”

The forum is expected to bring together 20,000 people and highlighted participants including Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan — who is under scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers for violent repression during October elections — and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman is heading Saudi Arabia’s delegation at the forum and will be featured as a guest of honor.

Cook was appointed by the president to chair the commission in January and moved quickly to approve Trump’s plans for a ballroom extension on the White House. The project has drawn intense scrutiny for altering the historic character of the now-demolished East Wing without a vetted approval process and raised concerns of cost.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday stripped provisions for $1 billion in taxpayer-funded security upgrades for the ballroom from proposed legislation.

The Hill also reached out to the Commission of Fine Arts for Comment.

The Kremlin noted Cook’s participation will mark the first time a U.S. official has attended the forum since 2017-2018 — nearly four years before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Russian targets on Wednesday, reportedly near St. Petersburg, as the forum got underway, demonstrating Kyiv’s increasing ability to launch long-range strikes inside Russia.

The Russian army has also increased the intensity of attacks against Ukraine, launching the largest missile barrage overnight Monday, including 73 missiles and 656 drones. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds more injured across the country.

The attack followed an intense week of Russian bombardment that included more than 2,000 attack drones, 1500 guided bombs and 108 missiles.

The GOP-controlled House on Wednesday moved forward on a vote for legislation that would authorize additional support for Ukraine, to include funds for munitions and sanctions against Russia. The bill is likely to stall in the Senate, but lawmakers who supported the measure, including some Republicans, said it sends a key signal of majority support for Kyiv at a time when Trump is warming relations with Putin.

“It’s between Ukraine or Putin, I choose Ukraine,” Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) told The Hill ahead of the vote.

Tags

Abdulaziz bin Salman

davos

Donald Trump

economic forum

Joe Wilson

Marco Rubio

Rodney Mims Cook Jr.

russia

Russia-Ukraine war

Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Trump administration

Trump ballroom commission

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

Vladimir Putin

white house ballroom

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