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On December 14th, local time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is preparing for meetings with the United States and European allies in the coming days. He will travel to Berlin to meet with US and European representatives to discuss "building the foundations of peace." Zelenskyy stated that this series of consultations is "decisive" for Ukraine, and that Ukraines core objective is "to achieve a decent and just peace." Earlier that day, Germany announced that it would host a US and Ukrainian delegation on the 14th to hold talks on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire and to prepare for the summit of European leaders, including Zelenskyy, to be held in Berlin on the 15th. According to previous reports, US Presidential Envoy Witkov and former White House senior advisor Jared Kushner have already departed for Germany to meet with Zelenskyy and other European leaders.On December 14th, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on the 13th that if the EU were to utilize frozen Russian assets, it would trigger serious problems. Orbán explained that, firstly, such a move would erode public trust in European trustees; secondly, the Russian central bank has filed a lawsuit against the European Clearing Bank (ECB), which holds a large amount of frozen Russian assets, potentially putting the ECB under pressure to repay its debts. Furthermore, given the enormous sums involved, the economy of Belgium, where the ECB is located, could face collapse.The Ukrainian POW Reconciliation Center reports that Belarus has transferred 114 civilians to Ukraine, including Ukrainian and Belarusian citizens.The U.S. Embassy in Lithuania reported that nine prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialyatsky, have been transferred from Belarus to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Other prisoners are being transferred from Belarus to Ukraine.On December 13, the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius (the capital of the Republic of Lithuania) announced that Belarus had released 123 prisoners following a meeting between U.S. Special Envoy Cole and Belarusian President Lukashenko, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialyatsky. The released prisoners, who were transferred to Lithuania, included Belarusian citizens, U.S. citizens, and citizens of other countries. The U.S. will continue diplomatic efforts to release the remaining political prisoners in Belarus. The embassy stated that the U.S. is prepared to engage with Belarus in a manner consistent with U.S. interests.

Asian Stocks Fall as Economic Recession Concerns Persist

Aria Thomas

Jun 20, 2022 11:01

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The majority of Asia-Pacific equities were trading in the red on Monday morning, as investors fretted about a potential economic downturn brought on by major central banks' tightening monetary policies.


The Nikkei 225 dropped 1.72 percent on 10:24 PM ET (2:24 AM GMT).


The KOSPI decreased by 2.36 percent.


The Australian ASX 200 index fell 1.03 percent.


The Hang Seng index declined 0.74 percent.


The Shanghai Composite fell 0.38 percent, while the Shenzhen Composite rose 0.42 percent.


Last week, major central banks increased interest rates, heightening investors' fears of a recession. Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a 75 basis point increase in interest rates, the largest increase since 1994. The Swiss National Bank unexpectedly increased interest rates by 50 basis points on Thursday, the same day that the Bank of England lifted its rates to 1.25 percent.


"Market volatility has remained elevated, with the VIX index posting its highest weekly finish since late April," NAB analyst Rodrigo Catril told Reuters. "This pattern extends beyond stocks, with an increase in FX and rates volatility as well as wider credit spreads."


"At this juncture, it is difficult to foresee a turnaround in fortunes unless there is evidence of a significant reduction in inflationary pressures."


Wednesday and Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell will speak before the House of Representatives. The Fed said last week that its commitment to taming inflation was "unconditional," and Fed Governor Christopher Waller stated on Saturday that he would back a 75-basis-point rate rise in July.


In an effort to combat inflation, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he was contemplating eliminating certain tariffs on China and pausing the federal gas tax.


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