Tensions have been high this week as the US ramped up warnings of a possible Russian attack, with President Joe Biden saying a “false-flag” event may be under way. Russian officials said no invasion of Ukraine was underway and none was planned. But the Kremlin said in an official response to the Biden administration’s proposed security assurances that the offers were unsatisfactory and Russia might have to resort to unspecified “military-technical measures.”
Gold dropped from an eight-month high after Russia agreed to meet with the US for talks over the Ukraine standoff, easing some geopolitical concerns that had fueled demand for the haven asset.
Russia responded to an offer for a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Europe with proposed dates for late next week. The US has accepted, “provided there is no further Russian invasion of Ukraine,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
