“Expectations in Russia are running high ahead of Friday’s planned summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Trump,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Moscow sees an opening to reset relations with Washington, with Kremlin officials hinting at the potential for deals with the U.S. on infrastructure and energy in the Arctic and beyond, as Russia’s state media plays up what it bills as a looming entente between two equal great powers.”

Bloomberg: “It’s a worrying trend for those who serve him, especially since the reasons for an investigation are rarely published. There’s been no official explanation for the surprise ouster of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang in 2023.”

“Such disappearances are more than just domestic political drama. They have important consequences for how China communicates with the world, and vice versa.”

“President Donald Trump said on Monday that Kyiv and Moscow will both have to cede land to end the war in Ukraine and talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week will instantly show whether the Kremlin leader is willing to make a deal,” Reuters reports.

Two Grumpy Old Men: “I basically suggested that Witkoff was underqualified. And possibly rather dim. That he simply does not grasp the goals and subterfuge of the former KGB agent residing in the Kremlin since 1999. That Trump’s golf and business buddy was being played. Just like his boss has been for the past seven months.”

“Some of my readers thought that was too harsh. It turned out that, if anything, I was being too nice.”

“Steve Witkoff and his boss have consistently displayed an impressive lack of knowledge of even the most basic tenets of international relations and the war in Ukraine.”