US National Security Advisor Sullivan: US doesn't think Russia's Putin has made final decision on invasion

Joel Frank Independent Analyst

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan pushed back against the earlier report via PBS that the US believes Russia President Vladimir Putin had decided to order an invasion of Ukraine. He said the report "does not accurately capture" what US intelligence believes, saying that they don't think a final decision has been made yet, though such a decision may come soon. Sullivan added that Russia has all the forces it needs to pursue major military action against Ukraine.

Market Reaction

As Sullivan pushed back against the earlier report from PBS, the risk-off move did see a very minor, temporary reversal, though this was short-lived. The S&P 500, for example, is back again to session lows in the 4420s, now down some 1.7% on the day.

Author

Joel Frank

Independent Analyst

Joel Frank is an economics graduate from the University of Birmingham and has worked as a full-time financial market analyst since 2018, specialising in the coverage of how developments in the global economy impact financial asset

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD drops to daily lows near 1.1630

EUR/USD now loses some traction and slips back to the area of daily lows around 1.1630 on the back of a mild bounce in the US Dollar. Fresh US data, including the September PCE inflation numbers and the latest read on December consumer sentiment, didn’t really move the needle, so the pair is still on course to finish the week with a respectable gain.

GBP/USD trims gains, recedes toward 1.3320

GBP/USD is struggling to keep its daily advance, coming under fresh pressure and retreating to the 1.3320 zone following a mild bullish attempt in the Greenback. Even though US consumer sentiment surprised to the upside, the US Dollar isn’t getting much love, as traders are far more interested in what the Fed will say next week.

Gold makes a U-turn, back to $4,200

Gold is now losing the grip and receding to the key $4,200 region per troy ounce following some signs of life in the Greenback and a marked bounce in US Treasury yields across the board. The positive outlook for the precious metal, however, remains underpinned by steady bets for extra easing by the Fed.