Russian Central Bank maintained its 21% key rate while doubling inflation forecasts, dominating morning financial coverage. The bank's refusal to include potential peace scenarios in forecasts signaled skepticism about diplomatic developments.
Midday brought conflicting narratives about the Chernobyl incident, with Ukrainian reports of drone damage to the sarcophag met by Kremlin denials. Bloomberg revealed Putin's negotiation team composition: Ushakov, Naryshkin, and Dmitriev.
Evening coverage centered on the Munich Security Conference, where Zelensky rejected natural resource concessions to the US. Vice President Vance's statements about potential US troop deployment to Ukraine and criticism of EU leadership marked a shift in diplomatic dynamics. Russian media emphasized growing divisions between US and EU approaches to negotiations, while maintaining narrative control over the Chernobyl incident reporting.