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Trump and Zelensky Tout Progress Toward Peace Deal Despite Major Sticking Points

   U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hold a press conference after their lunch meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky struck an optimistic tone after meeting in Florida, suggesting that negotiations toward a potential Ukraine‑Russia peace agreement are nearing completion. Trump described the talks as “very close,” while Zelensky said the two sides had aligned on the majority of key issues. The meeting followed Trump’s recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he characterized as constructive. Zelensky emphasized that the discussions were productive and that both leaders share a desire to accelerate the path toward ending the conflict. Despite the upbeat messaging, significant obstacles remain. Unresolved issues reportedly include territorial questions, long‑term security guarantees for Ukraine, and the sequencing of troop withdrawals—topics that hav...

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European Stocks Surge and Bond Yields Ease as Markets Scale Back Bets on Rate Cuts

 

European stocks surged to a fresh two-year high, and bond yields eased as markets scaled back ambitious bets at the end of 2023 on rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and other major central banks. The S&P 500 also edged higher, with the index poised to set a new record closing high, at the start of a week packed with big corporate earnings, European inflation data, Federal Reserve and Bank of England meetings and U.S. employment data.

The market is trying to understand the outlook for the U.S. economy as it is unlikely to require the deep interest rate cuts by the Fed it has priced in. Absent geopolitical shocks, the U.S. economy will grow better than expected with just a few areas underperforming.

The surge in European stocks and the easing of bond yields can be attributed to the markets scaling back their bets on rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and other major central banks.



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