A slow start to the week across a range of financial markets with US markets semi-closed for President’s Day, but risk assets are under pressure after news over the weekend that US President Biden and Russian President Putin will have talks this week over the Russia/Ukraine crisis. Markets have taken this as a positive sign, with risk assets picking up a bid, but these bids may be short-lived, especially with the amount of news/fake news swirling around the market of late.