President Donald Trump announced on Friday on Truth Social that he will host Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, marking the first meeting between sitting U.S. and Russian presidents since June 2021.
What Happened: “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s Friday sanctions deadline for Russia created immediate market pressure. The president doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% over New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases, causing the iShares MSCI India ETF (NASDAQ:INDA) to decline 0.82% on Friday. India imported 2 million barrels daily of Russian crude in June.
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Why It Matters: U.S.-Russia negotiations reportedly focus on freezing the Ukraine conflict along current battle lines. Bloomberg sources indicate the proposal would cede Donbas and Crimea to Russia while halting Moscow’s offensive in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed continued U.S.-Russia contact, according to South China Morning Post reporting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that any territorial concessions require constitutional referendum approval.
Energy markets showed volatility ahead of sanctions. The iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (BATS:IEO) gained 0.50% to $87.01, while the United States Oil Fund (NYSE:USO) declined 0.80% to $73.30 on Friday.
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