Russia and the US take one more step to restore relations; Kiev and Washington reach a deal on Ukraine's natural resources; and Western countries see the Arctic Forge 2025 drills as part of a policy to contain Russia. These stories have topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia according to TASS news agency.
Izvestia: Russia, US take one more step to bring relations back to normal
Russia and the United States have held another round of talks, with delegations discussing ways to restore the regular operation of embassies. The meeting took place in Istanbul as Turkey seeks to offer its services as a facilitator in talks on the Ukraine issue, Izvestia writes.
Istanbul is a renowned venue for negotiations, well-suited for dialogue with third countries, Konstantin Kosachev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament), explained. "Our Turkish colleagues want something more, they want to be mediators. However, this raises many questions. Turkey is not a neutral country in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. It supported Ukraine both politically and through military supplies. In my view, this limits Turkey’s potential," the politician said. "In this case, Turkey is not engaged in talks and is not putting pressure on any of the parties, which is why it is a good place to meet and do some meaningful work," Kosachev added.
Meanwhile, some of Kiev’s allies see the steps the US has been taking to meet Russia halfway as a sign of vulnerability. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has traveled to the US to persuade President Donald Trump not to hurry to strike a peace deal on Ukraine. However, Starmer’s chances of success are slim given that during the recent US presidential election, he backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Igor Kovalyov, deputy head of the Department of World Economy and World Politics at the Higher School of Economics, pointed out.
"Basically, Trump is determined to at least try to get along with Russia and is not inclined to unconditionally support Vladimir Zelensky’s regime. As for Starmer, Trump certainly does not see him as the closest and most reliable friend. It won’t be right to say that special relations between the UK and the US are over but there will neither be a strong alliance nor a common front," the expert observed.
Still, the Europeans may follow the US policy of improving relations with Russia as practice shows that Europe tends to echo the US administration’s actions. Notably, Hungary and Serbia are already quite friendly towards Russia, and these European countries are highly likely to establish closer ties with Moscow, Professor Richard Bensel of New York’s Cornell University noted. Besides, Russia is also in political contact with Slovakia.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Kiev believes it outplayed Washington
The Ukrainian government has approved the signing of a deal on natural resources with the United States. The parties agreed to create a jointly administered investment fund, where Ukraine will contribute 50% of its future revenues from the use of natural resources, while the US will invest its own funds. Notably, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal pointed out that some ‘unfair’ provisions had been removed from the document, which particularly obliged Ukraine to pay a $500 billion debt to Washington, Nezavisimaya Gazeta notes.
Meanwhile, media reports say that the accord still contains a provision on the contribution of half of Ukraine’s revenues not only from the extraction of natural resources but also from the operation of its infrastructure facilities, including ports. And since Washington will certainly play the leading role, the implementation of the deal will ensure US control over key Ukrainian industries. This will particularly help US agricultural holdings to organize supplies of Ukrainian agricultural products through the ports, which could be one of the reasons for them to seek an end to the conflict.
As for Zelensky, the agreement is primarily giving him the opportunity to meet with US President Donald Trump and reiterate his request for Washington to join the conflict on Ukraine’s side, Stanislav Tkachenko, a professor in the Department of European Studies at St. Petersburg State University’s Faculty of International Relations, pointed out. According to him, Kiev’s hope that Trump will continue providing military aid to Ukraine based on the natural resources agreement seems improbable.
"Everything that the US president has been doing, including the decision to actually halt military support for Kiev, confirms his desire to bring an end to the ongoing armed conflict with Russia. Trump views it as someone else’s project, started by the previous US administration under Joe Biden. However, he would prefer to ensure a more gradual exit from the conflict, which would contrast with how Biden withdrew from Afghanistan," Tkachenko said. This is why, in the expert’s words, Washington agreed to strike a deal with Ukraine in order to declare economic success at the next phase and emphasize the need to end military actions. "Meanwhile, the Ukrainian state will lose all subjectivity and ability to control its own economy. This actually suggests a return to 19th-century colonialism," the analyst emphasized.
Izvestia: Western nations view Arctic Forge 2025 exercises as part of strategy to contain Russia
February 28 marks the conclusion of the Arctic Forge 2025 joint drills involving special operations forces from the US, Canada, and Finland, which are being held in the European country. Over 1,000 soldiers practiced deploying forces to the Arctic during the exercise. Such drills will continue in the future, even though Washington announced a new objective of reviving dialogue with Russia after Donald Trump returned to the White House, said experts interviewed by Izvestia.
The exercises, led by the US Army Europe Command, take place in Finland and Norway every two years, Nikita Lipunov, junior researcher with the Institute for International Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, clarified. "During the drill, the US tests coordination with allies and evaluates weapons designed for use in extreme cold and high-latitude environments. Additionally, it serves as a chance to sustain the combat readiness of specific US military units," he added.
Exercises like these serve as a means for the US to expand its operations to a new NATO member, Finland. The country is a neighbor of Russia, and its terrain mirrors that of northern Russia, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov elaborated. He stated that this suggests preparations for military actions against Russia in the Arctic. Lipunov also emphasized that such exercises occurring near Russia’s border escalate military and political tensions in the area.
"The situation is at a pivotal point right now," Ilya Kramnik, research fellow at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, observed. "On one hand, the Americans have a significant interest in the Arctic in terms of their national security. On the other, the current US administration is reluctant to provoke conflict with Russia. They will likely attempt to increase military presence in Greenland, considering what Trump has previously suggested. Regarding Scandinavia, US military deployment in the region would not align with national security objectives. Instead, it would heighten the risk of confrontation with Russia, which contradicts Trump’s strategy, as he has shown a preference for seeking common ground with Moscow and reducing the chances of conflict," the expert noted.
That said, the US may scale back its operations in Scandinavia, while intensifying them in the Arctic region on the American continent, Kramnik added.
Vedomosti: Trump seeks to use sanctions on Venezuela against China
The US will limit Venezuela’s ability to ship oil, President Donald Trump said. He announced a review of deals regarding oil transaction agreements, which former US President Joe Biden had made to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Vedomosti reports.
In his first term in office, Trump also increased pressure on Venezuela. Back in 2019, then-Venezuelan Parliament Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself the country's interim president and Trump recognized him, even providing him with access to Venezuela’s assets frozen in the US. However, this led to nothing as Guaido remained in exile and Maduro continued to rule the country. The US eventually revoked its recognition of Guaido under Biden.
Sanctions on Venezuela are politically motivated, said Lev Sokolshchik, senior researcher with the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics. Washington would like Caracas to reduce its cooperation with China and Russia. For Trump and his team, Latin America is a priority as they seek to restore their dominance in the western hemisphere by putting pressure on various hostile regimes, Sokolshchik explained.
The US Republican Party largely relies on traditional sectors of the economy, so the country’s oil producers will now get the green light. "The president has plans to make the US the number one energy provider, and there are political and economic conditions for that goal to be achieved," the expert explained.
No direct, immediate economic losses will come from the withdrawal of US companies, Viktor Kheifets, editor-in-chief of the Latin America magazine, remarked. However, he specified that the very presence of US companies in the Venezuelan market had encouraged investors and customers from other countries, so the US move to revoke the oil license would deal a serious blow to Venezuela’s economic prospects and would negatively affect its image.
Trump also seeks to target China, a major buyer of cheap Venezuelan oil, Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, noted. Meanwhile, if Venezuela reduces its oil output, Russia will have fewer rivals in terms of oil supplies to China and India, the expert concluded.
Media: Rusal plans to enter rare-earth minerals market
As the interest is growing in rare-earth minerals, Russia’s aluminum giant Rusal announced the launch of an experimental production of scandium oxide in the Urals region of Sverdlovsk, Vedomosti writes. The project, with a capacity of 1.5 metric tons a year, is expected to begin in late 2025. Scandium is in demand in the manufacturing of fuel cells and aluminum alloys, as well as in 3D printing. The global production of the metal stands at 20-25 tons, so the launch will make Rusal one of the largest producers, the company stated.
Estimates from Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources show that the country has a total of 28.5 million tons of rare-earth elements. Russia is second in the world after China in terms of deposits of these minerals but has only a two percent share in their production, according to the US Geological Survey’s data. It’s China that accounts for over 40% of the world’s rare-earth deposits and more than 60% of their production.
Rusal’s decision to establish a scandium oxide production stems from the company’s desire to diversify its operations, Finam Management Leading Expert Dmitry Baranov pointed out. He expects that the project will help the company strengthen its position on the market amid a rise in demand for rare-earth minerals, ensuring Rusal’s long-term competitiveness.
Industrial expert Leonid Khazanov explained to Kommersant that China could become the main buyer of Rusal’s scandium alloys on external markets as the country is the biggest rare-earth element producer and consumer simultaneously.
If the geopolitical situation improves, demand will also emerge on other markets, said Maxim Khudalov, chief strategist at the Vector Capital investment company. Potentially, demand for aluminum and scandium alloys will grow in Russia, too, the expert predicts. Russia maintains plans to boost the civil aviation industry and the fleet of military aircraft will clearly require a revamp after the special military operation, he explained.
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