MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to visit, and China unveiled multiple new weapons at a massive military parade. Meanwhile, Kiev expects security guarantees from its allies "soon after tomorrow." These stories topped Thursday's newspaper headlines in Russia.
Izvestia: Putin invites Zelensky to visit Moscow
Russia is ready to receive Vladimir Zelensky in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters at a news conference following his official visit to China, even as the issue of the Kiev administration’s legitimacy has yet to be resolved. The Russian side sees a "light at the end of the tunnel" in the Ukrainian settlement, but if that doesn’t work out, Russia is ready to continue its special military operation. Also, the Russian leader highly praised the results of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit as he said that the contours of a multipolar world that is taking shape today have already become visible, and Russia and China play an important role here. Putin highlighted Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s global governance initiative.
Meanwhile, Zelensky earlier declined to visit Moscow, saying he would prefer a neutral location instead, sources told AFP. This situation shows that the two countries are not moving toward rapprochement or at least on a parallel course, Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University, told Izvestia. "So far, there are no prerequisites for a Russia-Ukraine summit," he argued.
Tigran Meloyan, an analyst with the Center for Mediterranean Studies at the Higher School of Economics, called Putin’s remark about his readiness to host Zelensky one of his key statements made during the Alaska summit. "While holding a trilateral meeting involving Trump is currently the most likely scenario, it entails certain difficulties, from choosing a venue to the US leader’s ambitions to shoulder responsibility for Kiev’s capacity to negotiate," the expert explained.
According to Meloyan, any progress on issues of concern to Russia, including the church, the use of the Russian language, and elections, could be a major driver for a Russia-Ukraine summit.
Given the changing situation on the ground, Kiev may meet Russia halfway on de-escalation, which would accelerate the peace process, Diplomatic Academy Vice Principal Oleg Karpovich told Izvestia. Still, the United States continues to play a key role in resolving the crisis, he said.
Vedomosti: China showcases multiple new weapons at huge military parade
On September 3, a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the allies’ victory in WWII after the surrender of Japan took place in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Chinese leader Xi Jinping presided over the third such parade, and this time he had Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un standing beside him. The Chinese leader had earlier taken part in festive events marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany in Moscow in May.
While most of the other leaders visited the SCO summit in Tianjin before attending the parade, President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso, Vietnamese leader Luong Cuong, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived solely to watch the parade.
The large-scale event involved more than 10,000 troops and over 100 aircraft. Xi personally inspected the formation of the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) and its weapons, including elements of China’s strategic forces. Among other arms on display were the latest DF-61 intercontinental nuclear missiles, the DF-5C heavy liquid-fuel ICBM, and the DF-31BJ missiles.
China presented new strategic weapons at the parade, Vasily Kashin, director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, told Vedomosti. China has officially unveiled the DF-5C missiles capable of carrying 10 warheads, a functional analogue of Russia’s Sarmat missile system.
In addition, China for the first time showcased its CJ-1000 strategic hypersonic cruise missile. Such a massive display, Kashin argues, may lead to changes in China’s doctrine of using strategic nuclear weapons in the future.
Also featured on Wednesday were the JL-1 nuclear submarine-launched ballistic missile and the JL-3 SLBM, components of China’s nuclear triad, senior research fellow at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies Yuri Lyamin noted.
The event also included new attack, reconnaissance and transport helicopters, as well as drones, while rehearsal footage revealed a wide range of uncrewed motorboats, submarine drones, and even "robotic wolves," Lyamin added. China has been carefully analyzing lessons from the special military operation, swiftly adopting various innovative weapons, Lyamin continued. The East Asian country studied other recent conflicts as well, incorporating everything Chinese science and industry can provide to the PLA, he concluded.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Security guarantees for Ukraine expected 'soon after tomorrow'
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky arrived in Denmark for talks with Nordic and Baltic leaders. Later on September 4, he met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, which is set to host another meeting of the "coalition of the willing" on Thursday. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said specific parameters of more aid and security guarantees for Ukraine should be expected "tomorrow, or soon after tomorrow," while considering Washington’s position.
Zelensky said at a news conference following talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that he expects to hold a phone call with US President Donald Trump in the next few days to discuss more sanctions pressure on Russia, should it decline to hold a summit with Ukraine. For her part, the Danish prime minister called the availability of a strong, well-equipped and well-trained Ukrainian army an important component of potential security guarantees. This, however, runs counter to Russia’s original goal of demilitarizing its neighbor as a condition for peace.
It’s worth noting that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview that while Berlin is not currently planning to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine without a ceasefire, it will have to clarify the contents of a future deal with Moscow. Given any deployment of troops "against Russia" is impossible, such a decision should be made in consultation with the Kremlin only, Merz explained.
The remark from a politician who has lately been quite hostile came as a surprise. "Berlin seems to be planning to make an offer to Moscow before throwing up its hands and saying that 'it’s Trump who is to blame again,'" Yevgeny Semibratov, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, suggested in a comment for Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
The Europeans would obviously like to repeat the trick they recently performed at the White House - to assure the US president of their loyalty and support for his decisions before pushing for the deployment of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, the expert continued. He views Wednesday’s visit to Kiev by British Defense Secretary John Healey as symptomatic.
Ukraine’s defense chief Denis Shmygal announced on social media that Healey had arrived in Kiev on Wednesday morning. Among other things, the Ukrainian side planned to coordinate the key issues of the agenda of the upcoming 30th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group known as the Ramstein Format with the British guest.
Izvestia: 10th Eastern Economic Forum kicks off in Vladivostok
On the opening day of the 10th EEF, record investments in the Far East, the thaw in relations with the United States, and responsible development of AI were discussed. Major agreements have already been signed at the forum, and experts anticipate that international contracts will account for 20% to 30% of potential deals.
On Wednesday, the main topics at the EEF included investment development and international cooperation. Discussions touched upon the prospects of Russian businesses in the international arena, the next round of talks between Russia and the United States, and the digitization of the financial market. Other topics included cooperation between small-and medium-sized businesses, possible solutions for cross-border payments, and responsible development in the AI sphere.
The central theme of the 10th EEF is "The Far East - Cooperation for Peace and Prosperity." The forum being held on Russky Island from September 3 to September 6 is expected to bring guests from more than 70 countries and territories together. Delegations from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Latin America are taking part. Around 90 thematic sessions will be held during the three-day forum.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova addressed the forum on Wednesday. Commenting on the geopolitical situation, she said Moscow is currently working on a date and venue for another round of talks between Russia and the United States.
It is hard to imagine a meaningful de-escalation process without the United States, independent expert Andrey Barkhota told Izvestia. Although bilateral relations have not been fully restored yet, the availability of a communication channel is important for discussing economic cooperation, including potential cooperation in the Arctic and reopening direct flights, Yaroslav Kabakov, Director of Strategy at Finam IC, added.
The thaw in relations with the United States gives a new boost to development in the Far East, Igor Rastorguyev, lead analyst at AMarkets, emphasized. He recalled the agreement reached by the heads of state on the participation of US oil and gas giant ExxonMobil in the Sakhalin-1 project.
Kommersant: Non-ferrous metal prices may remain stable until 2029
The prices of basic non-ferrous metals will level off before the end of 2025, Kept predicts. Analysts expect the majority of markets will face a relative balance between demand and supply until 2029, with nickel only showing a significant increase. Other experts see risks of growing deficit or surplus in other metal markets as well.
Analysts at Kept foresee a period of quite stable prices for basic non-ferrous metals until 2029, a report showed. According to their estimates, aluminum, copper, nickel and zinc prices will hover around this level until the end of 2025.
Aluminum, for one, is expected to trade at $2,500 per metric ton, and it may rise to $2,700 per metric ton in the next four years. Analysts at Harbor Research say the balance of supply and demand may shift toward a deficit amid growing consumption in China and limited production, especially against the backdrop of low inventories.
Kirill Lysenko, an analyst for sovereign and regional credit ratings at Expert RA, told Kommersant that, in the long-term, expectations in the aluminum market are tilted toward higher prices. Expanding capacities in Indonesia and China, rising recycling volumes, and persisting trade barriers will prevent prices from soaring, he cautioned.
Meanwhile, nickel prices may see the greatest growth until 2029, according to Kept: the metal may rise from $15,400 per metric ton at the end of 2025 to more than $18,000 per metric ton by 2029.
Boris Kopeikin, chief economist at the Stolypin Institute of Growth Economics, noted that risks of volatility in commodity prices, including for non-ferrous metals, persist due to what he called a chaotic foreign trade policy being pursued by the US administration.
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