Inflation has slowed down considerably so hopefully the Fed and the ECB will lower rates and the economy will gain some momentum. Uncertainty remains high though... wars in Ukraine and Israel, the Houthis creating problems with shipping lanes, and most importantly the CCP in China, which is dealing with troubled internal situation and might look at Taiwan to regain some popularity with a crazy action.

In summary, things are getting better... but there are still a lot of things that could go bad. Just my 2c

Russia is absolutely not buying gold at the moment lol... the war has caused a budget deficit and Russia is using it's foreign currency reserves to cover it. Moreover, gold with rubles would have a negative effect on the rubles' price... something that russia is actively trying to avoid. Your analysis doesn't seem very sound I am afraid