Russian rouble weakens after Trump's Russia comments
By 0920 GMT, the rouble was down 0.7% at 85.50 against the dollar in the over-the-counter market. The Russian currency is up by about 25% against the dollar this year, mostly on expectations of easing geopolitical tensions.
Trump told NBC News on March 30 that he was very angry after Putin criticised the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's leadership. His comments reflect his growing frustration about the lack of movement on a ceasefire.
"The news backdrop, at the very least, has halted the formation of optimistic expectations in the market, which limits demand for rouble-denominated assets," said Denis Popov from PSB bank.
The rouble also lost support from foreign currency conversion by exporting companies, which had been buying up roubles last week to make their corporate tax payments.
"After the exhaustion of fundamental factors that created a slight oversupply of foreign currency last week, there is a risk that the value of the rouble may shift to somewhat weaker levels," Popov added.
Against the Chinese yuan, the most traded foreign currency in Russia, the rouble was down 0.2% to 11.70, on the Moscow Stock Exchange.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump wants Rupert Murdoch, 94, to answer questions ASAP because of his age in suit over WSJ Epstein report
President Donald Trump asked a federal court to expedite the deposition of Rupert Murdoch in his lawsuit over the Wall Street Journal 's report about the alleged birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein because of concerns the 94-year-old media titan either won't live long enough to testify at a potential trial or might not be alive. Trump swiftly filed a $10 billion defamation suit against the publication, its owner Murdoch, the paper's parent company Dow Jones, and the two journalists who are bylined on the report, among others. The leather-bound book for Epstein's 50th birthday was compiled in 2003 by the late sex offender's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The WSJ reported it contained a 'bawdy' drawing and a note from Trump to Epstein, which the president denies. Lawyers for Trump argued in a motion that Murdoch should be deposed within 15 days because of 'multiple health issues.' 'First, Murdoch is 94 years old, has suffered from multiple health issues throughout his life, is believed to have suffered recent significant health scares, and is presumed to live in New York, New York,' the motion read. 'Taken together, these factors weigh heavily in determining that Murdoch would be unavailable for in-person testimony at trial.' 'Thus, it is presumable, both because of his age and health and/or his distance from this Court, that Murdoch will be unavailable for trial,' the filing states. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami has ordered Murdoch to respond to the request by August 4, Reuters news agency first reported. The motion lists several reported instances of Murdoch's ill health, including one about how the mogul ' collapsed and fainted at breakfast with a journalist' on February 14 this year. 'In 2022, he was hospitalized for a serious case of COVID-19,' the document continued. 'Within the last five years, Murdoch has suffered a broken back, seizures, two bouts of pneumonia, atrial fibrillation, and a torn Achilles tendon.' In the days before the WSJ published its first bombshell report, Trump and his team desperately tried to get Murdoch and his paper to kill the story. Trump 'reached out to, and spoke directly with, Murdoch and advised him that the letter referenced in the Article was fake,' the court filing states. 'Murdoch advised President Trump that 'he would take care of it.'' Lawyers referenced Trump's Truth Social post where he complained that Murdoch apparently 'did not have the power' to stop the story from being published. Behind the scenes, Murdoch himself has reportedly indicated that he has no plans to back down anytime soon. 'I'm 94 years old and I will not be intimidated,' Murdoch said, according to the Washington Post, citing three people familiar with the Fox News owner's private conversations. The WSJ dropped a second report last week that Trump was briefed that his name appeared in the Epstein files– and Attorney General Pam Bondi was the one who allegedly told him. 'This is another fake news story, just like the previous story by the Wall Street Journal,' White House communications director Steven Cheung responded last week. A mention in the file does not mean there was wrongdoing. Legal experts say Trump faces an uphill battle in winning the defamation suit and must prove that the article was false and that the WSJ knew, or should have known, it was false. The outlet has stood by its reporting in previous statements. 'We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,' a spokesperson said. Trump has grown increasingly frustrated that the Epstein scandal continues to dominate and overshadow his agenda. Trump was quizzed again Monday about the Epstein files while holding a press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, where he revealed that he turned down an invitation to Epstein's notorious island. 'I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island,' Trump said. 'In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn't want to go to his island.' The president continues to be dogged by the administration's handling of the Epstein files as questions about Trump's ties to the sex offender persist. Earlier this month the Department of Justice announced no further information would be released in the investigation. That is after months of officials saying they were reviewing files before their release. That led to anger among Trump's MAGA base. The president has tried to turn attention to other topics, but it has not been successful.
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump and Starmer clash over Sadiq Khan
Published: Updated: President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had an awkward moment Monday when the U.S. president started trashing the mayor of London . Trump was hosting Starmer at this Turnberry golf club in Turnberry, Scotland, with the two men traveling aboard Air Force One together to Trump's Aberdeenshire golf club as well. After this week's trip, the president will return to the United Kingdom in September for an official state visit with King Charles at Windsor Castle , located outside of London in Windsor, England. The president was asked by a reporter if he planned to visit London as well. 'I will, I'm not a fan of your mayor,' Trump volunteered. 'I think he's done a terrible job. The mayor of London, but a - a nasty person.' Starmer then interjected. 'He's a friend of mine,' the British prime minister said of London Mayor Sadiq Khan. 'No, I think he's done a terrible job,' Trump continued. 'But I would certainly visit London.' Khan has been mayor of London since 2016 - holding the job throughout Trump's first term in office. 'The lesson of today is that progress is not inevitable,' he said on the heels of Trump's November victory. He later trolled the Republican by inviting him to attend Pride in London and suggested Trump attend Friday prayers with him. Khan is Muslim but floated that Trump join him at a 'Hindu temple, or a Sikh gurdwara, or a Jewish synagogue.' In an interview with the High Performance podcast in mid-November , Khan claimed that Trump's distaste for him is due to the mayor's skin color and religion. 'It's personal, let's be frank. If I wasn't this color skin, if I wasn't a practicing Muslim, he wouldn't have come for me,' Khan said. 'He wasn't coming for me because I'm five foot six. He's coming for me because of – let's be frank – my ethnicity and my religion, so it's incredibly personal to me.' 'It affects me, my family. What worries me though, it's not about me and my family – it's about the fact that he's the leader of the free world,' the mayor added. In a statement Monday, a spokesperson for Khan said that 'Sadiq is delighted that President Trump wants to come to the greatest city in the world.' 'He'd see how our diversity makes us stronger, not weaker; richer, not poorer,' the spokesperson continued. 'Perhaps these are the reasons why a record number of Americans have applied for British citizenship under his presidency,' the mayor's spokesperson trolled.
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Keir Starmer's Marine One ride is a rare honour
When Sir Keir Starmer climbed aboard Marine One he joined a small set of British leaders invited to ride on the presidential helicopter. The Prime Minister made the short hop from Turnberry to Prestwick airport alongside President Donald Trump on Monday aboard one of the US Navy's new Sikorsky VH-92a Patriots, which carry the famous 'Marine One' call-sign only when the president is aboard. The two world leaders made the journey after a bilateral meeting in Mr Trump's golf club, after which they spent an hour fielding questions from journalists on everything from immigration to Gaza. Dan Connor, a former Marine One pilot, said Sir Keir's inclusion on Marine One was a rare honour. 'Think about it. Air Force One can carry 60, 70 passengers,' he said of the presidential plane. 'Marine One has room for just 12.' It is a privilege reserved for popes, royalty and the occasional British prime minister. Tony Blair flew with Bill Clinton, the then US president, to the prime minister's country residence Checkers in 1998 after a G8 meeting in the UK. He also flew with Mr Clinton's successor George W Bush to Camp David, the presidential retreat. Margaret Thatcher was also ferried to Camp David to meet Ronald Reagan (who collected her in a golf cart) and later George HW Bush. And more recently David Cameron was offered a ride from Texas to Canada for the G20 summit in 2010 by Barack Obama, when the British prime minister's helicopter was grounded by a mechanical issue. American presidents have used helicopters to get around ever since 1957 when President Dwight D Eisenhower wanted a quicker way to get to his summer home in Pennsylvania. Since then they have become the usual mode of transport for short journeys, offering easier logistics and better security than motorcades. Marine Helicopter Squadron One has been updating its fleet with the VH-92 Patriots during the past year. The helicopters are nicknamed 'white tops' because of their distinctive livery and are kitted out with communications equipment and anti-missile defences. As a security measure, Marine One often flies in a group of three identical helicopters. One carries presidential aides, one is a decoy and one carries the president. On this trip, the helicopters are also accompanied by a handful of Osprey MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft, carrying journalists and other staff, including Secret Service agents. The introduction of the VH-92a helicopters was delayed by several years and they have yet to fully replace older models still flown by the squadron. Among the problems was the way its exhaust system scorched the manicured South Lawn of the White House as they took off and landed. Mr Connor, who flew the older VH-3D Sea King, said the aircraft were outfitted to be more comfortable than the usual 'It's very comfortable, but you'll be on corporate jets that will be a lot more well appointed,' he said. 'It's still a Navy aircraft, and there's all sorts of requirements and restrictions placed on us.' So although the helicopters were outfitted with carpets, the seats still had to be cloth rather than leather. But he added there were all sorts of tips and tricks to providing a smooth experience. Air crew, he explained, would take their boots off before climbing into the cockpit to ensure they did not disturb the interior carpets that were swept with horsehair brushes before VIPs arrived. 'They actually deflate the tyre pressure in some of the wheels so as not to bounce and give it a little softer cushion,' he said. 'So you definitely learn how to land it differently to the way you would in a combat environment.'
