MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. Another round of negotiations on Ukraine begins in Geneva with a new group of participants; Israel wants Iran to take an impossible deal; and the Epstein case may lead to a Republican fiasco in the upcoming US elections. These stories topped Monday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Izvestia: Geneva meeting on Ukraine could set roadmap for peaceful settlement
On February 17, another round of negotiations on Ukraine will begin in Geneva with a new group of participants. Russia's delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and will include Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. The Kremlin attributes this to the broadening of the agenda. One of the topics may be an energy ceasefire. Meanwhile, Europeans remain on the periphery of the settlement: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the meeting on Ukraine in Munich, holding talks in Slovakia and Hungary instead.
According to Grigory Karasin, the head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, it is important for the Ukrainian delegation to demonstrate its willingness to negotiate in Geneva since Kiev's efforts thus far have aimed to disrupt the settlement process. "The official delegations of Russia, Ukraine, and the US need to work out some kind of road map for moving forward in the 'spirit of Anchorage.' We talk about this constantly because, if the Ukrainians want to negotiate, they will do so. But if they don't, they will undermine everything, cut details, and distort the facts," he told Izvestia.
Until Kiev accepts Moscow's terms, it would be illogical for Russia to give up the opportunity to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which is actively used to supply the Ukrainian armed forces and manufacture weapons, Pavel Feldman, professor at the Russian Academy of Labor and Social Relations, noted. "The ability to strike any military target in Ukraine with precision missiles and drones is a strategic advantage for Moscow," the expert stressed.
The most difficult issues remain those of Donbass and the status of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. Because of this, it is unclear whether Moscow and Kiev will be able to achieve tangible results. The US could act as mediator on these issues, Yevgeny Semibratov, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at the Russian University of People's Friendship, said. "The very fact that these issues are on the negotiation agenda is important and gives us hope that, despite its fierce media rhetoric, the Kiev regime will adequately assess the proposals currently being made by us and the Americans," the expert noted.
The Americans "hear" the Russian side in terms of assessing the legitimacy of the current government in Ukraine, Semibratov emphasized. "This is a negotiating position, and if the parties, primarily the Kiev regime, are interested, the Americans will probably be willing to revise the deadlines. Therefore, strict deadlines are more of a demonstration of serious intentions," he added.
Moscow, for its part, has also signaled its willingness to move forward on this issue. According to Galuzin, Russia may discuss with its Western partners the possibility of introducing external administration in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN solely for the purpose of holding lawful elections.
Vedomosti: Why Israel is offering Iran impossible deal
Iran must not only remove its enriched uranium, but also abandon the infrastructure needed for enrichment, resolve the issue of ballistic missiles (limiting their range to 300 kilometers), and stop supporting pro-Iranian militias, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. According to him, this is the only way for Tehran to reach a deal. At the same time, he once again expressed his skepticism toward Iran.
Netanyahu listed the above conditions after a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on February 11. This was followed by media reports about Trump's alleged willingness to support Israeli strikes on Iran's ballistic missile program if Washington and Tehran fail to reach a deal.
These demands do not seem entirely realistic, and Israel probably understands this. However, they may be intended for a domestic audience, Lyudmila Samarskaya, a researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ World Economy and International Relations Institute, told Vedomosti. According to the expert, several possible scenarios are being considered in Israel. "Although regime change in Iran would indeed be preferable for Jerusalem, achieving this goal from the outside is not seen as feasible," she pointed out. Therefore, according to Samarskaya, continued containment can be considered the most acceptable option, at least in the short term.
"The optimal outcome for Israel would undoubtedly be a change in Tehran's extremely hostile stance toward the Jewish state, which seems unlikely under the current Iranian leadership," the expert said. She also suggested that Netanyahu could use Iran's refusal to accept certain conditions as a pretext to increase pressure. However, Israel is unlikely to be prepared for a renewal of full-scale military action, Samarskaya emphasized.
Meanwhile, Lev Sokolshchik, a leading researcher at the Comprehensive European and International Studies Center at the Russian National Research University Higher School of Economics, noted that Republican administrations in the US, including President Donald Trump's, are not inclined to use diplomacy with regard to Iran. Trump and his team tend to view any agreement that provides concessions to Iran as an opportunity for Tehran to gain strategic advantages. "The situation is dangerous. Strikes may be launched. Israel could start the process, and the US would then join in. A diplomatic outcome cannot be ruled out, but the current administration prefers to use force against Tehran. At the same time, we should not expect a major war," the expert stressed.
Izvestia: Will Epstein case lead to Republican fiasco in US elections?
Republicans risk losing the US congressional elections in November 2026. The scandals surrounding the Epstein case will haunt President Donald Trump throughout the campaign, but far more serious challenges for the White House in the run-up to the elections will be rising prices, a third shutdown, and the migration crisis, which has triggered mass protests and the deaths of several Americans. Polls show Trump's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since the start of his second term.
The day before, US Attorney General Pam Bondi released a list of 300 names of celebrities and politicians mentioned in the files of financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The list includes Donald and Melania Trump, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Prince Harry, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Mark Zuckerberg, and Beyonce.
Interestingly, the publication of Epstein's files was one of Trump's campaign pledges during the presidential race. By doing so, the Republican leader sought to damage the Democrats' reputation by exposing their alleged ties to a pedophile. In reality, however, the story surrounding the Epstein case is affecting Trump more than the Democrats, American political scientist Alexey Chernyaev told Izvestia. According to him, not all the documents were ultimately made public, contrary to the Republicans' promises.
The story surrounding the release of the files is likely to continue, Inna Yanikeyeva, a research fellow at the Center for Advanced European and International Studies at the Russian National Research University Higher School of Economics, noted. "The extent to which the Epstein story will negatively affect Trump's ratings depends entirely on how the media presents this information, which is already happening. At the same time, its impact will most likely be limited since the files have already been made public as the audience wanted. This generally speaks in favor of Trump, who fulfilled his election campaign promise," the expert told Izvestia.
However, economic problems are weighing most heavily on Trump's position, as they are felt by all Americans, Chernyaev stressed. "Trump's trade wars have led to a surge in prices and inflation. This is quite sensitive for Americans, so it is the first factor to influence Trump's ratings," the political scientist said.
The Republicans are likely to lose their majority in the House of Representatives, and their edge in the Senate will shrink to almost zero, American studies expert Yegor Toropov said. However, there are still more than nine months until the November elections, and the unpredictability of American politics, particularly Trump, could dramatically shift the balance of political forces.
RBC: How foreign firms maintain presence in Russia
Russia is seeing a decline in deals on selling foreign businesses, Kept said. Remaining businesses from unfriendly countries can be divided into two groups: those that continue to operate and those that have ceased operations but have not yet sold their assets or been liquidated. In addition, there are companies in limbo, awaiting government approval to sell their businesses. In any case, the operations of all such companies are complicated by numerous restrictions, experts say.
Since 2022, the number of deals involving foreigners exiting businesses in Russia has fallen annually. Experts explained this by the fact that those who wanted to leave did so immediately, while the conditions for exit were constantly tightening. According to Kept, there were 111 deals involving the exit of foreigners in 2023, 63 in 2024, and only 23 in 2025.
Daniil Nametkin, director of the Center for Investment Analysis and Macroeconomic Research at the Center for Strategic Research, listed a "whole range" of strategies used by foreign companies: from attempts to preserve assets through a "quiet presence" to complex multi-level exit deals under strict regulatory oversight.
Many foreign companies continue to operate in Russia. Victoria Arutyunyan, a partner at the law firm FBK Legal, told RBC that these companies are making solid profits, but they are unable to distribute them due to restrictions imposed by counter-sanctions. According to Yury Nikolaev, managing partner of the Moscow Bar Association, most of the remaining companies have business interests in the US, Germany, and Italy.
A significant share of the companies continuing to operate in Russia are large international groups, both public and private, Olga Sorokina, managing partner of O2 Consulting and Oxygen Empire Dubai, said. For the former, it is practically impossible not to disclose their Russian business. However, according to Arutyunyan, some of the companies that continue to operate are trying to adhere to the principle of a "complete information blockade." They do not make any public statements about their activities in Russia.
Kommersant: Diamond shipments to India drop in January due to large inventories
At the end of January, India, the world's largest diamond cutter, reduced its precious stone imports in both annual and monthly terms. This is due to the buildup of large stockpiles throughout the production and sales chain, as well as the end of the peak demand period. Although no recovery in the diamond industry is expected in the first half of the year, Russia’s Alrosa is already seeing positive market signals.
Preliminary data from the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) shows that India, which accounts for about 90% of the world's diamond cutting, imported 7.4 million carats worth $624 million in January. The volume of purchases in carats decreased by 21% month-over-month and 7.3% year-over-year.
Veles Capital analyst Vasily Danilov told Kommersant that accumulated stocks across the diamond market chain and US President Donald Trump's trade wars (including those against India) are contributing to a fall in Indian diamond imports and exports.
Boris Krasnozhenov, head of securities market analytics at Alfa Bank, pointed out that the average import price was $90 per carat, which is 15% lower than a year earlier. At the same time, according to the analyst, diamond prices rose compared to December: wholesale stones cost $564 per carat.
According to Danilov, the global diamond market reached its latest peak in August 2021, and demand has been declining ever since. As a result, diamond mining companies have begun to cut output sharply, so the next round of demand growth will be met with limited supply, causing prices to surge.
In turn, Alrosa told Kommersant that the diamond market remains active and that positive trends are already emerging. The company added that the long-term trend is growth in end demand for jewelry in the US, India, China, and the Middle East, which make up the main segment of consumers of diamond jewelry. "With a sound strategy from all market players, the market will reach equilibrium in the medium term.
Unfortunately, this is not a quick process, so we are unlikely to see significant changes in the first quarter," the company said.
Krasnozhenov noted that confidence in India’s diamond industry was boosted by the US-India trade tariff agreement. The two countries agreed to cut tariffs on Indian exports to the US from 50% to 18%, while uncut diamonds remain exempt from the reduction.
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