Moscow Stocks Fall Amid Anticipation of Trump-Zelensky Peace Talks

Russia’s primary stock index experienced a decline of over 2% on Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European partners readied for discussions in Washington aimed at resolving the conflict.

The Moscow Exchange index, which monitors approximately 40 of Russia’s largest firms, fell to 2,945 points at the start of trading. Similarly, the RTS index decreased to 1,160 points.

Shares of major energy companies such as Gazprom, Rosneft, and Tatneft took the lead in the drop, along with the shipping company Sovcomflot and Bank St. Petersburg, all of which saw losses exceeding 3%.

In a different trend, the ruble gained slightly, increasing by 0.07% to 80.2 against the U.S. dollar, 0.09% to 93.83 against the euro, and 0.10% to 11.17 against the Chinese yuan, as reported by Reuters. Analysts anticipate that the currency will likely exhibit volatility as the Trump-Zelensky meeting approaches later in the day.

According to Yaroslav Kabakov, the strategy director at the investment company Finam, the Russian market is predicted to undergo «increased volatility» in the upcoming days due to uncertainty surrounding the ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Should the discussions prove fruitful, BKS analyst Mikhail Zeltser noted that «active market players are expected to begin factoring in the possibility of future trilateral talks,» and he forecasted that the MOEX might surpass 3,000 points.

Last Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin engaged in a critical summit in Alaska, although they did not achieve the significant Ukraine peace agreement that the American leader was hoping for.