Photo © Sputnik / Evgeny Biyatov
Initially, the invitations sent to participants specified Sochi as the venue. However, at the end of August, the organisers notified them of the change of venue. According to the FT, two sources reported that the decision was taken at the insistence of the presidential security service.
The club’s official website now lists the new venue. The 23rd annual meeting will take place from 28 September to 1 October in the Moscow Region. This year’s forum theme is ‘Responsibility for the Future: The Limits of the Possible or Limitless Possibilities?’.
The FT describes the relocation as further evidence of the growing threat to Russia posed by Ukrainian long-range strikes. In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up attacks on targets deep within Russian territory, including areas along the Black Sea coast.
The change of venue has coincided with a marked reduction in Vladimir Putin’s trips to Sochi. According to the FT’s calculations, the Russian president has visited the city just twice in the last two years. His most recent visit took place in October 2025, when Putin attended a Valdai meeting. By way of comparison: in 2021, before the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, he visited Sochi 24 times.
The Valdai Club has existed since 2004. Its annual meetings bring together Russian officials, foreign politicians, experts and journalists. Vladimir Putin regularly attends the forum, which remains one of the main platforms for his public statements on international policy issues.
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