Trump-Putin talks offer some clarity on Ukraine, energy, NATO, sanctions

Sanctions and investment

Russia's sovereign wealth fund expects a number of US companies to return to Russia as early as the second quarter of 2025, its chief, Kirill Dmitriev, said after the talks in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.

Many Western companies, including McDonald's and Caterpillar, have left Russia and some took hefty write-downs while selling assets at steep discounts.

For them to return, however, would require the lifting of the toughest Western sanctions ever imposed on a major economy, which include the energy and shipping sectors. If the US lifted the sanctions, Western investment could again flow into Russia and Russian markets would rally.