Ukraine nears peace deal with Russia – Bloomberg

Sagar Dua FXStreet

According to a report from Bloomberg, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during European trading hours on Friday that Kyiv is close to reaching a peace deal with Russia.

Separately, Russia has also stated that there can be peace with Kyiv today if Ukrainian President Zelenskyy makes the decision. A top official from the Kremlin has stated that Russia wants peace and not a ceasefire.

Market reaction

No immediate reaction by major global assets after the news release.

Author

Sagar Dua

FXStreet

Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.

GBP/USD stays below 1.3400 after soft UK CPI data

GBP/USD struggles to gain traction and stays below 1.3400 in the second half of the day on Wednesday. The UK annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation cooled to 2.6% in June against the market forecast of 2.7%, making it difficult for the British Pound gather recovery momentum. Meanwhile, investors keep a close eye on headlines coming out of the Middle East.

EUR/USD stabilizes near 1.1400 as markets focus on geopolitics

EUR/USD trades in a narrow channel at around 1.1400 on Wednesday. In the absence of high-impact data releases, escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East caps the pair's upside. On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) will announce monetary policy decisions.

Gold extends rally as Middle East concerns intensify

Gold extends gains for the fourth consecutive day, standing comfortably above $4,100, unfazed by the risk-off market amid rising tensions in Iran and higher Oil prices. The pair has rallied nearly 2.5% so far this week and is on track for its best weekly performance in more than three months.

Australia unemployment rate set to steady at 4.4% in June, signaling strong job market

Australia will publish the June monthly employment report on Thursday at 01:30 GMT, and market participants expect a modest increase in job creation in the land Down Under. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is expected to announce that the country added 15K new jobs in the month, while the Unemployment Rate is forecast at 4.4%, unchanged from May.

US – Fed preview: A divided hold

The first month after Kevin Warsh's debut at the FOMC's June meeting has brought mixed signals on the inflation front. On one hand, the re-escalation of the war in Iran has lifted energy prices higher again. Yet on the other hand, Warsh's hawkish comments have already lifted real rates, supported broad USD and tightened financial conditions while realized inflation surprised to the downside in June.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?

The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.