Epstein Files Weigh on Trump and Bitcoin Plunges with Little Hope Ahead

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, February 2nd

MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. Why the Abu Dhabi talks on settling the Ukrainian crisis were postponed, the potential impact of over three million of Epstein's files on Trump; and Bitcoin plunges with little hope for growth. These stories topped Monday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.

Izvestia: Reasons behind delay of Abu Dhabi talks on settling Ukrainian crisis

Negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, originally scheduled for February 1, have been postponed for several days. They are now expected to take place on February 4-5, though there has been no official confirmation of the new dates. The day before, special presidential envoy and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev held consultations with the American administration in the US; it is quite possible that the pause was needed to analyze the issues raised at the meeting. The main obstacle for the participants in the negotiation process remains territorial. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to experience a collapse in its energy sector, accompanied by blackouts and widespread water supply cuts.

Sides agree to continue talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi in mid-week — source

The general conditions for a peace agreement are not yet in place, political scientist Dmitry Solonnikov told Izvestia. He noted that Ukraine and the EU believe that Russia should make concessions. According to the expert, the West is trying to portray Russia as the "weaker side" that must agree to a direct ultimatum. "Neither side will accept the other's terms. Until something fundamental happens in this situation, it is impossible to talk about progress," Solonnikov added.

"It is too early to talk about a real cessation of hostilities. The negotiating teams are only working on issues related to the exchange of bodies and limited ceasefires in certain areas of the front, such as in Zaporozhye or elsewhere. Perhaps the issue of withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region, especially from the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, will be raised there," military expert Andrey Klintsevich pointed out.

"The question is how long the Ukrainian armed forces will be able to resist," Solonnikov noted. "We understand that the Ukrainian front is in a state of partial collapse. We expect it to collapse in one place or another, which could lead to a large-scale offensive by the Russian Armed Forces. In fact, this could be the end of the conflict," he emphasized.

At the same time, the situation inside Ukraine is unlikely to lead to a political explosion, the expert argued. There will be no regime change from within. One cannot count on that, he noted. However, corruption scandals in circles close to Zelensky are still causing significant damage to the current authorities.

Vedomosti: US halts its attack on Iran

The US and Iran are engaged in "serious discussions" over Iran's nuclear program, US President Donald Trump told reporters aboard his plane on the evening of January 31. The US leader did not specify the location of the meeting or its participants, but added that he expects to conclude an "acceptable" deal that would require Tehran to scale back its nuclear weapons program. These reports followed the deployment of US forces aimed at Iran.

The resumption of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program is tactical in nature for the US, Vladimir Vasilyev, chief researcher at the US and Canadian Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Vedomosti. According to him, Trump decided to temporarily de-escalate the situation in the Middle East after the scandal triggered by the January 30 publication of Jeffrey Epstein's files, which mention the US president. In this context, the White House has suspended action against Iran and postponed bombing the country for an indefinite period while observing the reaction of the American public, the expert added. "On the one hand, Trump has put forward what are effectively ultimatums to the Iranian side. On the other hand, he is most likely counting on imitating US-Iranian negotiations until the domestic scandal subsides," Vasilyev pointed out.

At the US-Iran talks, Tehran is theoretically ready to make concessions to the Americans, provided that they do not imply the full abandonment of Iran's peaceful nuclear program, Ilya Vaskin, a junior researcher at the Middle East, Caucasus, and Central Asia Studies Center of the Russian National Research University Higher School of Economics, emphasized. From Tehran's point of view, the terms of a compromise agreement could be based on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA; the nuclear deal concluded in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council), the expert said. "In any case, the US-Iranian dialogue is complicated by past experience, including the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and the 12-day war," he noted.

At the same time, Vaskin did not rule out the possibility of renewed hostilities between the US and Iran in the event of failed bilateral negotiations but said that it was difficult to predict the timing due to the many external factors.

Vedomosti: Potential impact of over three million of Epstein's files on Trump

US President Donald Trump is mentioned more than 1,000 times in 3.5 million newly released files related to the case of pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, published by the Justice Department at the end of January. Among the many political and public figures listed are former President Bill Clinton and billionaire Elon Musk.

The files contain details of the activities of Epstein and his accomplices, including eyewitness and victim testimony, previously unpublished official documents on his case in the early 2000s, as well as incomplete data on the financier's inner circle. An FBI list of Trump’s alleged rape cases was also published.

The Epstein story will become a permanent weapon for Trump's opponents, both against him and his supporters, Pavel Dubravsky, head of a consulting firm, told Vedomosti. The expert explained that some voters have already made up their minds about the extent of Trump's involvement in events related to Epstein. He noted that the opinion of this part of the electorate may be based on party affiliation. For Democrats, Trump is guilty a priori. Republicans, on the other hand, may admit that he is mentioned in the lists but consider this insufficient grounds for his condemnation.

According to Dubravsky, the scandal surrounding the Epstein case is unlikely to substantially affect the Republicans' chances in the November 2026 midterm elections. At the same time, the expert noted that the Epstein case will resurface during the election cycle. "It won't be electorally important, but it will be a means of attacking Trump and his allies," Dubravsky pointed out. Trump will likely remain silent on the topic because he believes that the publication of the documents is sufficient in itself. "If the scandal continues to bother Trump, there is always the international agenda, which can overshadow everything else," the expert stressed.

The Epstein case will continue to resurface for a long time, Pavel Koshkin, a senior researcher at the US and Canadian Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, pointed out. According to the expert, in hopes of reducing domestic political pressure, Trump will attempt to increase his foreign policy activity. "There may be sudden moves in relation to Europe in connection with Greenland, and in relation to Cuba and Iran," Koshkin said. However, sudden moves are also possible in the domestic political arena. In particular, the expert recalled Trump's attacks on former President Barack Obama and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. "We can expect sudden moves from Trump both within the US and beyond," the expert concluded.

Izvestia: Slovakia to keep purchasing nuclear fuel from Russia

Bratislava has no intention of terminating its contract with Moscow for nuclear power plant fuel. However, the country is working to diversify its supplies. In the meantime, the European Commission is planning to ban the import of Russian nuclear materials. Experts believe that some countries will most likely be able to secure exemptions for themselves.

Slovakia does not plan to suddenly terminate its agreement with Russia on fuel supplies for nuclear power plants, Slovak National Council Deputy Speaker Tibor Gaspar told Izvestia. "The current contract for the supply of nuclear fuel is the result of long-standing technical decisions and security agreements, and suddenly terminating it could jeopardize the stability of electricity production. Therefore, Slovakia is acting pragmatically. It is working to diversify its nuclear fuel suppliers while ensuring the safe and uninterrupted operation of nuclear power plants. Decisions in this area must be based on professional, not ideological, criteria," the lawmaker emphasized.

"Theoretically, Slovakia could choose alternatives. American and European companies have developed fuel that is suitable for Russian-Soviet design reactors," Igor Yushkov, a leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund, told Izvestia. However, according to the expert, this option would be less profitable than continuing to work with Rosatom. Comprehensive cooperation — construction, servicing of nuclear power plants, and supply of nuclear fuel — is always much cheaper than switching to another supplier.

The timing of the introduction of restrictions against the Russian nuclear industry depends heavily on the course of the Ukrainian conflict and the economic situation in EU countries. In addition, at least two countries within the association are expected to voice serious objections: Hungary, where Rosatom is building the Paks-2 NPP power units, and France, whose electricity generation is about 70% nuclear, Yegor Sergeev, senior researcher at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University, noted.

"In the near future, I do not rule out the adoption of some kind of largely declarative framework decision in this area. However, it will not impose strict legal conditions," the expert said.

Incidentally, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that he would block any EU sanctions against Russia if they harm his country's national interests.

Kommersant: Bitcoin plunges with little hope for growth

At the end of last week, the market experienced another cryptocurrency crash, resulting in Bitcoin falling to its lowest level since April 2025. The lack of obvious reasons for the crypto market to grow is forcing institutional investors to withdraw assets from ETFs, and the threat of a US government shutdown is only deepening the market's pessimistic sentiment. The short-term outlook remains negative: in the worst-case scenario, the asset's price could drop to $40,000 by 2027.

At the moment, investors see no real reasons for cryptocurrency prices to rise, experts told Kommersant. "The market currently has no obvious reasons for sustained growth in the value of crypto assets: regulatory signals from the US administration do not outweigh macro risks, which forces institutional investors to adopt a wait-and-see approach and continue withdrawing funds from ETFs," Mikhail Smirnov, communications director at the EXMO crypto exchange, said.

Investors tend to react particularly sharply to political news during periods of high volatility. They are especially concerned about the threat of a US government shutdown. According to Bitget Research Chief Analyst Ryan Lee, Bitcoin has repeatedly fallen on rumors of a shutdown. He noted that the risk of a government shutdown has become an additional factor prompting investors to withdraw funds from cryptocurrency exchanges.

Donald Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed chair could be Bitcoin's last hope. The financier is positive about cryptocurrency and loyal to the president, who has long pushed for a reduction in the key rate, BitMEX Chief Growth Officer Raphael Polansky recalled. However, news of the nomination was unable to support Bitcoin because the effects of Warsh's work will only be seen after he takes office.

Experts agree that there are no reasons for Bitcoin's price to rise in the near future. Amid an "avalanche of sell-offs" and investor panic, the currency's future depends on whether it can stabilize at $75,000, Polansky stressed. If not, a new wave of decline can be expected, the expert added. If there are no fundamental changes in the cryptocurrency market, the Bitcoin exchange rate could return to $40,000 by 2027, Smirnov concluded.

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