Russian stock indices surged on Thursday after the Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet in the coming days. The announcement, made by senior Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, marked a significant diplomatic development amid continued global tensions.
The MOEX Russia Index jumped 4.53% to 2,889.95, while the MOEX Blue Chip Index rallied 4.89% to 18,806.55. The MOEX10 Index climbed 4.80%, and the RTSI rose 4.53% to 1,135.28. The Russian Volatility Index (RVI) also increased by 5.04%.
This would mark the first meeting between Putin and Trump since the latter’s return to the presidency. According to Ushakov, “the meeting has been agreed” and preparations are underway. He added that the date and venue would be announced soon.
Market sentiment was further boosted after televised remarks from Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who met with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Shoigu reaffirmed Moscow’s intent to strengthen its strategic partnership with New Delhi, a move seen as a signal of Russia’s pivot to non-Western allies amid sanctions.
In a related development, Ukraine’s international dollar bonds surged, with the 2035 maturity climbing nearly 3 cents to 51.29 cents, following the Kremlin’s confirmation of the summit. Investors appear optimistic that the upcoming dialogue could ease geopolitical tensions or stall further escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The White House had earlier indicated that the meeting could take place as soon as next week, even as Washington continued preparing secondary sanctions against China and others to pressure Moscow over its role in Ukraine.
President Trump also stated on Wednesday that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff had made “great progress” during talks with Putin — hinting at potential breakthroughs ahead of the official summit.
