Putin held a late-night press conference with international news agency heads, declaring readiness to meet Zelensky while questioning "who will sign the documents" - implying doubts about the Ukrainian president's legitimacy. The session continued Putin's recent pattern of direct media engagement following Trump's rejection of Russian Iran mediation.
Economic concerns emerged as officials warned Russia approaches recession despite earlier claims of functional growth. VTB's head called the ruble's strengthening harmful to the economy, while Sberbank suggested the key rate could drop to 15%. The St. Petersburg Economic Forum proceeded with limited attendance after Western companies and most Russian billionaires avoided participation.
A prisoner exchange returned Russian soldiers from Ukraine as Peskov announced dates for a third negotiation round could be agreed next week. Meanwhile, Iran-US tensions dominated coverage with reports of Trump approving bombing plans while direct US-Iran negotiations occurred behind the scenes. Russia positioned itself as willing to mediate between Israel and Iran through Putin-Xi coordination.