Bloomberg: the ruble has become the best currency on the world market

Since the beginning of the year, the Russian ruble has strengthened by 15% against the dollar, making it the most successful currency in the world. This is due to the growing interest in Russian assets, according to Bloomberg analysts. According to experts, the excitement around these assets arose against the background of the negotiations between Moscow and Washington. 

On February 18, representatives of Russia and the United States met in Riyadh, following which Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced an agreement to speed up the appointment of ambassadors and eliminate existing barriers in the work of Russian diplomatic missions.

Yesterday, closed-door negotiations between Russia and the United States ended in Istanbul, where issues related to the establishment of embassies were discussed. The parties agreed to hold a new meeting in the near future, and the State Department noted that the talks with the Russian delegation had been productive.

On Friday, the USD/RUB exchange rate increased by about 0.5%, approaching the level of 88 rubles. This week, quotes reached a low on August 4 at 85.37 rubles, after which they began to recover for the third day in a row against the background of the general strengthening of the dollar.

The US dollar index has continued to rise since Wednesday, returning above the 107.00 mark in anticipation of important data on PCE inflation in the United States, which may affect the Fed's interest rate forecasts. Additional support for the US currency is provided by Trump's new tariff threats against Canada, Mexico and China.