Saint Petersburg, Russia –

Russia's flagship economic forum kicked off Wednesday with stalls selling Russian President Vladimir Putin-themed merchandise and humanoid robots, but Westerners were few and far between — despite warming ties between Moscow and Washington under U.S. President Donald Trump.

Once dubbed "Russia's Davos," the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is designed to attract foreign investment and is the biggest showcase of Russian technology and business.

Some 20,000 guests from 140 countries are set to take part in the forum over the next four days, both online and in person, according to the Kremlin.