Yesterday the Korbel School of International Studies hosted Andrei Danilenko, a Russian entrepreneur and advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, for an informal discussion with Korbel Dean Christopher Hill.

Danilenko spoke about his work in the Russian agricultural department, where he has spent his career working with the Russian government to earn more support for the agricultural economy of Russia. Much of his time was spent discussing his experiences in his work.

“Agriculture has never gotten the attention it should,” he said. “We could be the top producer, but we are not.”
Danilenko has worked in Russian farming for 20 years, when he founded “Russian Farms” International Foundation.
He said the founding was a response to a need he and his partners noticed after their time in the industry.

“My partners decided we need to work with the government on bringing more support to agriculture,” he said.

Danilenko was selected to act as the voice of the organization to the government.

In addition to acting as director of Russian Farms, Danilenko as works as a chairman of the Public Council of Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and a Chairman of Agro-industrial association of the Customs Union.

Danilenko has also met with Russian president Vladimir Putin on several occasions to discuss  support for more investment in the agricultural economy by the Russian government, and discussed his experiences in those meetings.

He said he believes Putin “plays the political game correctly,” but also noted that the tone of his meetings with Putin have changed.

“I believe on issue that is very complicated for any human being is the longer they are in power, they build up pre-set opinions and pre-set attitudes,” said Danilenko.

Danilenko said his ideas seem to interest the president less than they did when the two would meet five years ago.
“When people are in power for so long … their distance from the population is greater and greater,” he said.
He spoke about his views of Russian leadership from his time in the country, where he has been living since 1989. Danilenko said his view is not that of a typical Russian citizen because he was born in San Francisco and alternated between living in Russia and the United States in his early life.
“I walk a fine line in Russia of being very patriotic and at the same time being objectively patriotic,” he said.