Trump and Putin agree on energy and infrastructure ceasefire in Ukraine conflict
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday agreed to an immediate pause in strikes against energy infrastructure in the Ukraine war. Trump’s post echoed the Kremlin, stating that Putin promised to stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days.
However, the Russian leader declined to sign up for the comprehensive month-long ceasefire that Trump's team recently worked out with Ukrainians in Saudi Arabia.
“We agreed to an immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post after his call with Putin.
Separately, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said early Wednesday that US officials will visit Saudi Arabia for additional discussions on the Russia-Ukraine peace deal, adding that the talks will be held in Jeddah on Sunday.
Market reaction
At the time of writing, the Gold price (XAU/USD) is trading 0.07% lower on the day to trade at $3,032.
Risk sentiment FAQs
In the world of financial jargon the two widely used terms “risk-on” and “risk off'' refer to the level of risk that investors are willing to stomach during the period referenced. In a “risk-on” market, investors are optimistic about the future and more willing to buy risky assets. In a “risk-off” market investors start to ‘play it safe’ because they are worried about the future, and therefore buy less risky assets that are more certain of bringing a return, even if it is relatively modest.
Typically, during periods of “risk-on”, stock markets will rise, most commodities – except Gold – will also gain in value, since they benefit from a positive growth outlook. The currencies of nations that are heavy commodity exporters strengthen because of increased demand, and Cryptocurrencies rise. In a “risk-off” market, Bonds go up – especially major government Bonds – Gold shines, and safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and US Dollar all benefit.
The Australian Dollar (AUD), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and minor FX like the Ruble (RUB) and the South African Rand (ZAR), all tend to rise in markets that are “risk-on”. This is because the economies of these currencies are heavily reliant on commodity exports for growth, and commodities tend to rise in price during risk-on periods. This is because investors foresee greater demand for raw materials in the future due to heightened economic activity.
The major currencies that tend to rise during periods of “risk-off” are the US Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The US Dollar, because it is the world’s reserve currency, and because in times of crisis investors buy US government debt, which is seen as safe because the largest economy in the world is unlikely to default. The Yen, from increased demand for Japanese government bonds, because a high proportion are held by domestic investors who are unlikely to dump them – even in a crisis. The Swiss Franc, because strict Swiss banking laws offer investors enhanced capital protection.
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