A dealer watches as U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they meet to barter for an finish to the battle in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on the ground on the New York Inventory Trade in New York Metropolis, U.S., August 15, 2025.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
World markets have been on tenterhooks Monday as momentum to finish the battle in Ukraine gave the impression to be ramping up, with European leaders heading to Washington for extra talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on ending the battle in Ukraine.
European markets traded mixed forward of the summit later right this moment on the White Home, which follows Trump’s high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, whereas U.S. stock futures had moved lower. In the meantime, Asia-Pacific indices in a single day traded largely greater in anticipation of the talks.
Merchants will probably be hoping that an finish to the Russia-Ukraine battle — a battle which started in 2022 and which has shaken the worldwide economic system, disrupting commerce and provide chains, and creating geopolitical chasms between main economies within the West and East — could possibly be nearer now than at some other time.
However these within the know say fledgling talks between stakeholders Russia, Ukraine, Europe and the U.S. are just the start of what could possibly be an extended and thorny path to a ceasefire — as Trump’s inconclusive talks with Putin on Friday proved — not to mention peace.
That might be in stark distinction to Trump’s well-documented love of a fast deal, and needs to be a wake-up name for world market optimism, specialists say.
“Peace agreements take a really, very very long time to attain,” James Bindenagel, visiting fellow on the German Marshall Fund and former U.S. ambassador to Germany, advised CNBC Monday.
“And what Putin has stated is that he needs peace talks so he can proceed the battle, realizing that it will not come to a peace settlement for a really very long time. That’s merely not acceptable,” he stated.
“You can’t negotiate on a peace settlement for 5 years, ten years, and let the Russians proceed their battle in opposition to the Ukrainians.”
Beneath strain
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO chief Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are among the many European leaders touring to Washington for talks on Monday.
They’re accompanying Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to debate Ukraine’s future and doable situations for a peace deal, together with land swaps (reportedly proposed by Putin) and safety ensures — all seen as essential by Europe, if there’s to be a ceasefire and peace. Trump has dominated out the opportunity of Ukraine regaining management of Crimea, which Russia invaded in 2014, and becoming a member of NATO.
Zelenskyy is prone to come below strain to enter a deal. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated the Ukrainian president may “finish the battle with Russia nearly instantly, if he needs to, or he can proceed to battle.”
The assembly follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin final Friday, however the talks concluded and not using a ceasefire. It has been extensively reported since then that Putin advised Trump that he would agree to at least one, if Russia was handed Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
The view from Ukraine shouldn’t be optimistic, contemplating that Putin had already rejected the provide of a ceasefire that would type the idea of peace negotiations. “To attain an enormous peace deal is rather more tough,” Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker, advised CNBC on Monday.
“It is a tough query with massive particulars and it’ll take loads of time,” he advised CNBC’s “Europe Early Version.”
No ‘fast repair’
European protection shares have been in focus Monday, with merchants betting on a constructive outlook for the sector regardless of the consequence of talks as European leaders have pledged to extend protection spending.
On Monday, Germany’s Rheinmetall was up 2.8%, whereas Hensoldt and Renk have been additionally round 4% greater, respectively. Italian agency Leonardo was up 2.1% in early offers whereas London-listed BAE Systems additionally traded 2.3% greater and Babcock 3.4% greater.
“That is the start of an extended negotiation,” Olivia Allison, senior advisor at PRISM Strategic Intelligence, advised CNBC Monday. “Anybody on the lookout for a fast repair will probably be upset,” she famous.
“Whatever the consequence … there will probably be an emphasis on protection, on defending important nationwide infrastructure, and I feel the markets also needs to take that into consideration,” she famous.
“A peace deal, which I feel will probably be an extended course of, shouldn’t be an finish to the connection between Russia and Europe.”
