Russia President Putin: A neutral stance for Ukraine is needed to resolve conflict with Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron in a call on Monday that a neutral stance for Ukraine is needed for a resolution of the current conflict, reported Reuters. Russia is open to talks with Ukraine and expects them to lead to the needed results, Putin reportedly told Macron in the call. 

Russian and Ukrainian delegations are currently in talks near Ukraine’s border to Belarus. Hopes for a ceasefire to be agreed upon are slim, with the Ukrainian foreign ministry earlier saying that Ukraine would not surrender to the invading Russians and demanding that all Russian forces immediate withdraw from Ukraine. 

Markets await the outcome of these talks with abated breath. A ceasefire (not expected) could immediately result in a drastic improvement of risk appetite.