MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. The US seeks to persuade Ukraine to make concessions to resolve the conflict with Russia; experts highlight the potential impact of new US tariffs on India; and the EU ramps up support for the Moldovan leadership ahead of parliamentary elections. These stories topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Izvestia: US seeks to persuade Ukraine to make concessions
Washington is trying to encourage Kiev to reach an agreement with Russia. Notably, the US has enough tools to exert pressure on Ukraine, said experts interviewed by Izvestia.
US President Donald Trump’s efforts to avoid new sanctions on Russia are having a positive impact on the negotiation process, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik noted. It seems Russian President Vladimir Putin has explained to his US counterpart that it’s pointless to pressure Moscow, Diplomatic Academy Vice Principal Oleg Karpovich believes. "Moreover, the threats of secondary sanctions against Moscow’s partners have brought India and China closer together, and fueled anti-American sentiment in the countries of the Global South," the expert added.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also outlined the desired timeframe for resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East: US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff said that it’s expected to be done by the end of the year. By setting a timeframe, Trump seeks to project the image of a peacemaker and a strong leader in order to impress his voters. His other statements make it clear that he has realized how complex the underlying causes of the Ukraine conflict are, Karpovich pointed out.
That said, the White House is considering various options for putting pressure on Ukraine. The US will no longer provide direct funding, while weapons will be supplied at the expense of NATO countries, Donald Trump said. In addition, the US leader did not rule out sanctions on Kiev.
The US has a wide range of tools of pressure to use against Ukraine, which include the disclosure of sensitive information on corruption among Ukrainian politicians and their foreign assets. Other options are to end intelligence sharing and assistance in operation planning or delay decisions on Ukraine aid within NATO. "Tougher forms of pressure may include the introduction of tariffs on certain goods, and personal sanctions," Ivan Loshkaryov, associate professor with the Department of Political Theory at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, observed.
Meanwhile, there are two major stumbling blocks hindering the settlement of the Ukraine conflict. The first is that Vladimir Zelensky is no longer legitimate. The Ukrainian authorities’ illegitimacy means that any agreement would be legally contestable, Loshkaryov explained. Besides, the issue of security guarantees for Kiev also remains unresolved. European leaders continue to insist on sending troops to Ukraine, while Russia has repeatedly stressed its opposition to the deployment of Western forces to the country.
Media: Experts assess potential consequences as new US tariffs on India come into force
Washington’s additional 25% tariffs on India took effect on August 27. They were added to the earlier tariffs of 25% that the US had introduced, citing high barriers to American exports. In short, tariffs of 50% will now apply to more than half of India’s exports to the United States, Vedomosti reports.
The hefty tariffs won’t serve as a barrier between the US and India given their deep-rooted ties, which would require more than one impulsive act to be severed, Gleb Makarevich, researcher at the Center for Indo-Pacific Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, believes. However, New Delhi views such actions as a serious blow that undermines trust.
India now has two realistic options, Andrey Gnidchenko, leading expert at the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, points out. The first is to continue talks. The second is to look for other markets and redirect exports to the US through intermediaries. "Strategically, India will be one of the new industrial centers as people’s welfare is growing and workers are becoming more expensive in China. The US won’t benefit from cutting ties with India, so a new deal is a more likely scenario," the expert said.
As for Russia, the key risk is that exports to India will decline, leading to a drop in the budget’s oil and gas revenues, Olga Belenkaya, head of macroeconomic analysis at Finam, told Izvestia. It’s possible that India will seek to slightly reduce Russian imports in order to resolve the tariff issue. Still, India is unlikely to fully abandon Russian oil, Belenkaya added.
Anastasia Prikladova, associate professor with the Department of International Business at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, also points to the risk of declining Russian exports to India. However, a fall in supplies may be partly offset by a rise in prices, particularly due to a reduction in the Russian oil discount.
According to Vladimir Chernov from Freedom Finance Global, the likelihood of successful talks and the removal of additional tariffs is very high because India’s trade and strategic role for the US remains important. But for now, the situation is tense.
Media: EU ramps up support for Moldovan leadership ahead of parliamentary elections
The European Union is intensifying support for Moldova's President Maia Sandu ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in Moldova in a bid to boost the ruling party’s popularity through promises of rapid integration into the EU, Izvestia notes.
The EU leaders’ visit comes amid a difficult pre-election situation, where Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity risks failing to secure a majority in the September 28 parliamentary elections. Clearly, Macron, Merz and Tusk went to Chisinau in order to support Sandu’s pro-EU policy and save her from defeat, said Bogdan Tirdea, a Moldovan lawmaker representing the Party of Socialists. The visit of the high-ranking European officials aims to make Moldovan voters see that if they want to build relations with the EU - even without joining it - they should vote for the current authorities, Vladimir Bruter, an expert with the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, noted.
The European politicians’ visit also underscores the serious domestic problems that the Moldovan government is facing. "Sandu has failed to achieve breakthroughs in the economy and energy security, keep prices from rising and attract investment. Gas prices have grown by 27% since the 2024 presidential election, and electricity rates have surged by 70%," Tirdea specified.
The Chisinau visit by the leaders of France, Germany and Poland shows these countries' interest in strengthening their positions in the eastern European part of the post-Soviet space, Alina Azarenkova, professor with the Department of Political Science at Moscow State Linguistic University, told Vedomosti. Paris, Berlin and Warsaw are concerned that if Moldova’s ruling party suffers a defeat, the country could abandon the pro-European path, rendering European investment futile.
According to Natalya Kharitonova, professor with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, the EU’s backing is extremely important for the current Moldovan authorities, especially given the US administration’s decision to end assistance to Chisinau. On the one hand, Sandu seeks to take advantage of the Europeans’ support to consolidate her voters. On the other, in the expert’s words, the Moldovan ruling party’s viability is crucial for European leaders, who seek to continue using Moldova as a stronghold in their confrontation with Russia.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Gold prices set to hit all-time high before year’s end
Geopolitical instability, central bank activity and the US dollar’s weakness have pushed gold prices up by about 25% since the beginning of the year. Gold prices hit an all-time high only three weeks ago, and another record is likely before the end of 2025, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes.
This year, gold prices have largely been driven by US President Donald Trump’s actions. A while ago, prices went up due to Washington’s tariff wars with the rest of the world, and now they have been fueled by a reshuffle at the US Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve and Trump pursue different goals: the former seeks to achieve a target inflation rate of 2%, while the latter needs cheap loans to spur growth in the US economy, as well as a weak dollar. Trump has removed Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, accusing her of mortgage fraud. "The decision is seen as an attempt to influence the Federal Reserve’s policy, particularly given Trump’s criticism of the regulator’s chief Jerome Powell and his calls for a lower key rate. Lisa Cook’s removal is also reinforcing perceptions of institutional instability in the United States, increasing demand for defensive assets," Freedom Finance Global analyst Vladimir Chernov said.
"Geopolitical tensions, including the trade conflict between the US and China, serve as an additional growth factor, along with active gold purchases by the world’s central banks, which, according to Goldman Sachs forecasts, may reach about 900 metric tons this year," Chernov notes.
He expects that gold prices will remain high before the end of 2025, with a slight potential for further growth. "The average price is expected to stand at $3,300-3,500 per troy ounce, but macroeconomic or political risks could lead to a short-term rise to the $3,800 level," the analyst predicts. The $4,000 per ounce level appears achievable only if recession continues, trade tensions escalate or military conflicts intensify, Chernov added.
Kommersant: US extends authorization for limited import of Russian diamonds
The US Department of the Treasury has extended the authorization for the import of Russian-origin diamonds that were outside Russia before the introduction of US sanctions. Analysts note that the measure, aimed at legalizing old stocks, will help mitigate the risk of supply shortages and support the market’s Western participants, Kommersant reports.
Anna Zabrotskaya, Russia managing partner at the Nordic Star law firm, explains that the move seeks to ensure synchronization with the G7’s and the EU’s timetable for the introduction of a system to trace Russian diamonds, as well as legalization of old stockpiles of gemstones, which were exported from Russia before the cut-off dates and have already been cut abroad. For the US market, this lowers the risks of supply shortages and price spikes, the expert added.
Alfa Bank analysts stress that there is a huge secondary diamond jewelry market and a substantial level of stocks, in which the share of Russian stones is quite high, given their role in the global market. According to the Kimberley Process, Russia accounted for 32% of global diamond production in 2024.
Earlier, the EU postponed the launch of its traceability mechanism for Russian diamonds until January 1, 2026, with experts citing the system’s lack of readiness as the reason.
The US decision pushed shares of Russia’s Alrosa diamond producer higher. However, T-Investment analysts emphasize that the extension is mainly directed at diamond cutters and will have no effect on Alrosa. Zabrotskaya adds that the measure is designed to protect the interests of the market’s Western participants, rather than ease restrictions on Russian producers.
Independent expert Maxim Khudalov does not rule out that the extension was lobbied for by US jewelers, who face competition from cheap jewelry imported from India. With 50% tariffs imposed on Indian goods, they are now in "a good situation."
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