In the opinion of France's Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian, Russia is only pretending to negotiate with Ukraine.

This comment comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier on, “negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are challenging.”

Market reaction

The market mood remains mixed, with stocks cheering Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s confidence in the economy, despite raging inflation and the Ukraine uncertainty. Meanwhile, concerns over the Russia-Ukraine peace talks is keeping the investors’ sentiment in check, reflective of the drop in the S&P 500 futures.