European Union clamps down on Telegram, Xi Jinping asks US to clarify its stance on China, and almost all channels of communication cut off between Moscow and Ottawa. These stories topped Friday's newspaper headlines across Russia.

Izvestia: EU turns up heat on social networks, might block Telegram

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has not yet contacted the Russian Embassy in France following his release from jail. In turn, Paris has not reacted in any way to Russian diplomats’ inquiries, Izvestia found out. Currently, the entrepreneur cannot leave France, where he is facing the prospect of at least ten years in prison. Pressure, put on Durov in France and the EU, indicates the EU’s clear "drift" toward restricting freedom of speech, French political scientist Aymeric Chauprade said.

"As the French proverb goes, if you want to kill a dog, say it has rabies. This is precisely what is happening in the West these days. A soft totalitarianism of sorts is apparent. You see what has been happening in Europe over recent years. Parties that resist American globalization, US policies and Atlanticism, are increasingly being branded as populist because there is fear that they will get to power and advocate for a multipolar world and friendly relations with Russia," he told Izvestia.

According to him, the blocking of Telegram in the EU cannot be ruled out, given pressure from the European Commission on all internet platforms in general. Swiss journalist Guy Mettan concurs.

"Right now, it is hard to say anything about the potential blocking of Telegram but anything is possible. The European Union banned Russian media outlets on its territory and now they are after Telegram. But they still need to prove that it is breaking the law and at this time, I don’t see how they can do that. Telegram is not the only social network that can be accused of poor moderation. So, at this moment, I see it rather as a warning of sorts. Because it is easier to attack Telegram than Elon Musk’s X or Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta (prohibited in Russia as a designated extremist organization - Izvestia)," he added.

That said, both experts think that content moderation is merely a pretext to gain access to confidential information of the platform’s users.

"No social network is safe. But Pavel Durov’s potential agreement to work with Western intelligence is already endangering Telegram, which was considered a 'safe Russian' messaging service. The era of trust is over together with the 'Durov phenomenon' and his naive libertarianism. And this is not even about those mythical access codes. The world’s main intelligence services most likely have already obtained them without Durov’s help. Now what they're after is the Telegram chief’s complete submission," said Mikhail Bocharov, deputy director general for research at CSoft Development.

Vedomosti: Beijing asks US to clarify its stance with regard to China

On the last day of his visit to China, US Presidential Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Xi reiterated his hope for constructive cooperation, provided that the US clarifies its stance on China.

Despite the absence of any details of the visit’s results, Sullivan’s trip remains an important landmark in ties between the two countries at this stage, said Grigory Yarygin, associate professor with the Department for American Studies at St. Petersburg State University. "The mere fact of a meeting with Xi, along with information about his future phone conversation with Biden indicate that there are issues both sides are willing to reach a compromise on. Otherwise, there simply would have been no need to plan this conversation," the expert thinks. In his opinion, these issues may include both the situation in Ukraine, as well as potential US-China talks on arms control.

Overall, Sullivan’s visit bolsters existing communication channels, but Yarygin stressed that they are contextual and fragile. The way the two countries interact could change significantly if Trump is elected, the expert concluded.

Sullivan’s visit to China continues the important practice of establishing communication channels between Washington and Beijing, concurs Alexander Lukin, research director at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of China and Contemporary Asia. However, according to the expert, the schism between the two countries runs deep. "Right now, there is no solid ground for concrete agreements," he thinks. Additionally, this lack of clear outlines for potential agreements is exacerbated by time constraints due to Biden's approaching departure. In other words, even if there were plans to reach any agreements, they could be torpedoed once Trump comes to power, the expert explained.

Furthermore, China is playing it cool with regard to the American election, not wanting to take sides. Lukin cited articles by Chinese experts showing that it does not matter for China who wins the US election. However, there is a feeling that Beijing is hoping for a Harris win, viewing her as the lesser of two evils compared with the unpredictable Trump, Lukin said.

Izvestia: Russia-Canada relations in freefall

Nearly all bilateral communication channels between Russia and Canada have been severed, the Russian Embassy told Izvestia. In particular, past cooperation on the Arctic between the two countries is now non-existent. The diplomats noted that the cultural exchange along the lines of indigenous peoples of the North had also been affected.

Russia’s relationship with Canada wasn't always so icy. In fact, not long ago, the two countries interacted in various spheres, including political, economic, scientific, technological and cultural fields. Trade was gradually growing, particularly in the field of agriculture.

"Research contacts were being established between institutions of higher learning. At a certain stage, cooperation between the countries’ northern regions began to develop rather steadily and on various tracks: in construction and in culture. The two countries’ interregional cooperation was developing rather intensively. At some point, Quebec and Tatarstan were fostering their ties," Grigory Yarygin, associate professor with the Department for American Studies at St. Petersburg State University, told Izvestia

Now, this once budding cooperation between Moscow and Ottawa has dissipated, and dialogue on developing the Arctic has halted as well. Bilateral interaction on this track was crucial for both countries due to their geographic location and the economic benefits they derived from this cooperation.

"We cannot say that we did not notice how these ties and cooperation faded away. It was promising due to our remoteness, above all, today, in the context of cultivating the Arctic, preserving the environment and the transport potential and mining for mineral deposits. Possibly, this track would have been the most promising one for the two northern giants, but Ottawa's decision to stunt relations, as well as political and economic sanctions certainly do not provide for any leeway or the recovery of ties," Yarygin thinks.

In addition to limiting Russia’s presence in the Arctic, Canada and other Western countries are working to militarize the region, which creates threats for Moscow. Furthermore, the sides intend to modernize the joint North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

"Canada plans to install on its soil, including in its northern regions, more powerful new radars, including over-the-horizon radar stations with a range of several thousand kilometers, allowing them to monitor a significant part of Russia (the North and Far East)," Dmitry Volodin, head of the Canada Department at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for US and Canadian Studies, said.

Kommersant: Price of gold in Russia hits new high

The price of gold on the Moscow Exchange has surpassed 7,300 rubles (about $80) per 1 gram for the first time since March 2022. Over the past three weeks, gold in Russia has gotten more expensive by more than 10%. The prices are steadily growing against the background of a rise in gold prices abroad where market players are expecting the US Federal Reserve System to switch to a milder monetary policy. The Russian prices are also propped up by the growing dollar exchange rate amid higher demand from importers and departing foreign investors.

Konstantin Samarin, senior analyst at SberCIB Investment Research, noted that this is happening not only because of the Fed’s softer rhetoric over the past few months but also due to Jerome Powell’s clear signal that monetary policy is set to ease in September.

Analysts note that a combination of factors, including seasonal ones, are now influencing the currency market. The August-September period is the time when import purchases gain traction. In addition, as Promsvyazbank Chief Analyst Denis Popov noted, the exacerbation of problems with payments in the Chinese yuan due to secondary sanctions may have led to a partial redirection of demand to rare "toxic" currencies in order to finance import purchases.

 Kommersant: Asia becomes main market for Russia’s aluminum giant

Amid the EU discussing potential sanctions on Russian aluminum, Rusal has been decreasing its supplies to the European market. Over the past year, Europe’s share in the company’s revenue has hit a four-year low of 22%, while Asia’s share has grown to 42%. The premium in Europe is higher than in Asia, but, according to Kommersant’s sources, European consumers prefer not to take any risks.

Rusal’s volume of sales on the European market is the lowest in the past four years, according to the company’s open records.

Supplies to the European market are more marginal than to Asia, noted Maxim Khudalov, chief strategist at the Vector X investment company. According to him, on the Japanese market, currently, the premium for a physical delivery is $172 per ton. The analyst said that the premium in China is expected to hover around $140-150 per ton.

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