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Dear readers,

Yesterday, at one of the platforms set up for consultations between Russian leadership representatives and U.S. President Donald Trump’s team, the Politburo received an unexpected proposal.

Trump is effectively suggesting that both sides define their spheres of influence in Europe and develop a detailed plan to establish and formalise these spheres.

Since the beginning of negotiations, there have been hints from the U.S. side regarding this issue, though never in concrete terms. This was initially linked to the claim over Narva, with certain Russian officials informally referring to it as a “Russian city.” This notion was floated as a “wish list” to Trump’s newly formed team at the time.

Since then, the Americans have repeatedly probed how the Russian leadership intends to handle this issue, even suggesting discussions on potential options. Each time the topic resurfaced, debates broke out within the Politburo about whether it should even be seriously discussed with the Americans. Using it as leverage against the West was one thing, but getting drawn into someone else’s game was another matter entirely.

Now, however, the U.S. leadership is directly proposing to bring this old dream of certain Politburo members to life—at least as a strategic plan, but with a clear path toward implementation.

This has sparked heated debates within the Russian leadership. It is obvious to all that Trump’s goal is twofold:

1. To tighten his grip on Europe by splitting it and making most of it submissive to U.S. influence.

2. To drive a wedge between Russia and China.

Dear readers,

Despite the resumption of negotiations between Politburo representatives and U.S. President Donald Trump’s team, the Russian leadership finds itself with even more unanswered questions. The entire domestic political agenda in Russia now depends directly on decisions made by the U.S. president, without even factoring in Chinese allies. In fact, Xi Jinping and his associates remain on standby, watching as Trump sets an unpredictable political tempo.

It is worth noting that the U.S. president is not following a set script but rather improvising in real-time, baffling not only external observers but also his own team. This has become increasingly apparent from the behaviour of his negotiators.

On Sunday and Monday, the Russian leadership was informed of a “goodwill gesture”—a supposed willingness by the U.S. to lift some of the sanctions imposed on Russia. However, the number and significance of these sanctions fluctuated almost hourly. By Monday evening, the Politburo demanded clarity from the American side, urging them to stop “playing games” and instead provide clearly formulated proposals that, once mutually approved, would be formally locked in.

Trump’s team insists that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will soon change his stance under U.S. pressure—within days, rather than weeks or months. The Russian leadership remains skeptical but is willing to wait.

Dear readers,

Following the altercation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, the atmosphere within the Politburo could best be described as “disarray and turmoil.” By that time, negotiating teams from Russia and the United States had managed to agree not only on the framework for a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine but also on several economic projects.

For instance, Trump’s team proposed allowing U.S. companies to participate in the extraction of Russian gas and its subsequent sale to Europe via the Nord Streams (which the U.S. would help restore) and through gas transit via Ukraine, also under U.S. supervision. The gas would essentially be rebranded as “American,” and Europe was expected to view this as a “guarantee of stability” and proof that the Russian leadership harboured no ill intentions.

Moreover, Trump’s representatives suggested that the Politburo entrust nearly all Russian exports to the European Union to American intermediaries—naturally, for a “modest share.” The Russian leadership saw these proposals as an excellent way to navigate the economic crisis the country is sliding into and gave preliminary approval to several projects.

Dear readers,

Dear readers,

Yesterday’s heated exchange between Trump and Zelensky at the White House has left almost the entire Politburo in a state of gloom. One might think they would be pleased, but no. The issue is that the framework of an agreement between the Russian leadership and Trump’s team for a ceasefire in Ukraine had already been outlined, and many other agreements hinged on the success of that deal.

Dear readers,

While the arrests of generals have been put on hold, the Politburo has launched a “major purge” of third-tier elites. In essence, this is a clear signal not only of a possible imminent truce—military leadership is set to undergo a complete cleansing after the war ends—but also of an impending power transition. Under the guise of an anti-corruption campaign, the plan is to purge at least 40% of regional elites. Some will face criminal prosecution, while others will simply be dismissed or will “resign voluntarily.”

Next in line is a reshuffling of governors, which is meant to serve as the prologue to a full-scale reformatting of power. While the system will retain its external structure, internally, it will undergo significant reforms. The presidential and parliamentary elections are expected to conclude this major transition.

Dear readers,

What is happening in Russian politics right now can rightly be called an “American rollercoaster”, both literally and figuratively. Inside the Politburo, euphoria over new opportunities, which arise three times a day, is quickly replaced by bitter, if not brutal, disappointment. The main reason for this is U.S. President Donald Trump and his expressive, unpredictable approach to deal-making.

The Politburo is a diverse and fragmented body, while the proposals from Trump’s team are highly targeted, aimed at specific factions within it. This is creating instability at the highest levels of Russian leadership, leading to the first signs of a split within the Politburo. It would be an exaggeration to say that Trump is deliberately working to fracture the unity of Russia’s leadership, such a strategy would not serve his interests, at least at this stage. Instead, he simply acts as he sees fit in the moment, changing his mind within minutes and putting forward ideas that contradict his own previous positions.

Dear readers,