The rouble surged to its strongest level against the US dollar in five months on Wednesday as the release of an American teacher held in Russia bolstered investors’ hopes of an end to the war in Ukraine.
The currency jumped nearly 3 per cent on Wednesday to 93.8 to the dollar, following the deal to secure the return of Marc Fogel, who had been detained since 2021.
The move extends a rally sparked by Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The US president has promised to bring the Ukraine war to an end. The rouble has gained 21 per cent since the start of the year.
“The expectation of negotiations between Russia and the US over Ukraine gives some optimism to investors,” said Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.
“If the talks turn out complicated, and this optimism fades, the rouble will have a more difficult time.”
Analysts said the currency had also been boosted by increased sales of Chinese renminbi — Russia’s most traded foreign currency — by the Russian central bank, which intervenes in markets to support the exchange rate.
The rouble plummeted to record lows following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which prompted a raft of western sanctions in effect cutting Russia off from the global financial system.
Although authorities steadied the exchange rate by tightening currency controls, the rouble has remained volatile and was hit by further US energy sanctions late last year.