[Global Times Special Correspondent in Russia Xiao Xinxin] American rapper "Kanye" Kanye West has arrived in Moscow for a private visit, which has attracted a lot of attention from Russian and American media. According to a report by Russia's TASS news agency on June 30, Russian designer Gosha Rubchinsky's agent said that West came to celebrate Rubchinsky's birthday. West appointed Rubchinsky as the creative director of his Yeezy sneaker brand in December 2023.
West posted in Russian on the Russian social platform vk on the 30th: "Hello, Moscow." According to a report by Tass News Agency on July 1, West had taken a flight to leave Moscow in the early morning of the 1st, and Rubchinsky Go to the airport for drop-off.
Tass news agency quoted Dudieva, the public relations manager of Moscow's "beluga" restaurant, as saying that West dined with Rubchinsky at the restaurant on the evening of June 29 to celebrate the latter's 40th birthday. West's arrival attracted attention on Russian social media, and the relevant video received a large number of reposts.
Based on the news on Russian social media, despite the hot weather on the 30th, a large number of fans and reporters gathered in front of the hotel where West stayed. The crowd gradually dispersed until midnight that day. West also went to a shopping mall next to Red Square for dinner on the 30th, and went to the shopping mall observation deck to enjoy the street view of Red Square.
West's sudden visit aroused the news that he will hold a concert in Moscow. However, Ratnikov, general manager of "tci", a performing arts organization responsible for organizing performances by foreign stars in Russia, said on the 30th that this news was "hype and false information." The Luzhniki Stadium Information Center also stated that it had received no information that West planned to hold a concert.
Foreign media said that West’s visit to Moscow was surprising. CNN reported on June 30 that West became the first mainstream American star to visit Moscow since the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The US Newsweek website reported on June 30 that the timing of West's trip was "particularly sensitive": After the conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out, Western countries imposed severe sanctions on Russia, and many well-known Western cultural figures kept their distance from Russia.
The Russian "Viewpoint" website stated that West's trip was a "demonstration" to the US authorities. Many people in the American entertainment industry believed that Russia should be boycotted, and West responded with practical actions. "Viewpoint" believes that in the context of the U.S. presidential election, as a supporter of former President Trump, West's trip may not only be for personal motives, but also for political purposes.
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