'Considering morality': Putin's daughters make rare appearance at economic summit

NEW DELHI: Vladimir Putin’s daughters made a public appearance on Friday following years of secrecy as the Russian president is reportedly "considering his mortality," the New York Post reported.
Maintaining strict secrecy abouthis personal life, Putin has never officially acknowledged that the two ladies, Maria Vorontsova, 39, and Katerina Tikhonova, 37, are his daughters.
The two were speaking at at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
During the panel discussion, Tikhonova, a technology executive with connected to Russian military said, "The sovereignty of the state is one of the key topics of recent years, it is the basis of Russia's security."
Vorontsova, a biology researcher talked about innovation in biodiversity.
Commenting on this re-appearance, Ronald Marks, a US intelligence veteran told The Daily Beast, “Remember it’s Putin world and we just live in it.”
“That’s an extension of him… his desire to recreate the Russian empire, his desire to show himself as the most powerful guy in Russia. Young daughters represent vitality for him,” he added.
Marks also said that Putin is "considering his morality" adding that "he’s getting to be at that age right now where he’s now looking for his legacy. And both of those kids to my understanding are pretty sharp".
“If those daughters can step out front and center and represent him, I think he’ll take advantage of it,” Mark told The Daily Beast.
In recent years, the two ladies have assumed increasingly prominent roles in the public eye, including speaking engagements at numerous business events and forums.