Oil prices rose on Monday after White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that India’s purchases of Russian crude are financing Moscow’s war in Ukraine and must stop.

Traders were also awaiting signals from a later meeting on the same day between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an attempt to reach a peace agreement that would end the bloodiest war in Europe in 80 years.

Brent crude futures rose by 0.46% or 30 cents to $66.15 a barrel as of 10:05 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 38 cents or 0.61% to $63.18 a barrel.

Navarro’s comments that India’s purchases of Russian crude finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine revived concerns over supply flows. Navarro said: “India is acting as a global clearing house for Russian oil, converting sanctioned crude into high-value exports, while handing Moscow the dollars it needs.”

Olle Hvalbye, an analyst at SEB, said that this statement sparked some buying interest in the market.

Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at brokerage firm Phillip Nova, added: “The sharp remarks from the US adviser on India’s oil imports from Russia, along with the delay in trade talks, have revived concerns that energy flows remain hostage to trade and diplomatic tensions, even as the prospects for peace in Ukraine improve.”

Trump is scheduled to meet Zelensky first at 17:15 GMT, then meet all European leaders at 19:00 GMT.

Trump told Ukraine on Monday that it must abandon hopes of regaining Crimea, which Russia annexed, or of joining NATO, as he appeared closer to Moscow in seeking a peace deal rather than a ceasefire first, following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said: “I don’t think the oil market has fully priced in the potential ‘peace dividend,’ which could lead to further setbacks in crude and European gas prices.”

Hansen added that speculators, in the week ending August 12, held the first-ever joint net short position in West Texas Intermediate crude (across both CME and ICE exchanges), leaving prices exposed to any bullish surprises.

Investors are also closely watching Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks at the Jackson Hole meeting this week, regarding the path of US interest rate cuts, which could push stocks to record highs.

The dollar rose against the euro and the British pound on Monday, ahead of an expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian and European counterparts, while attention also turned to the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium, in search of signals on monetary policy.

The euro fell by 0.2% against the dollar, recording 1.1683 dollars, while the British pound declined 0.1% to 1.3546 dollars.

The reduction of bets on interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve next month helped support the US currency, amid relatively limited moves in the foreign exchange markets on Monday. Money markets are now pricing in an 85% chance that the Fed will cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point next month, after traders reduced their bets on the certainty of a new cut, following data that included a jump in US wholesale prices last month and a strong increase in retail sales for July.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak on the economic outlook and the monetary policy framework at the Jackson Hole symposium, scheduled between August 21 and 23.

Lee Hardman, senior currency analyst at MUFG Bank, said the US central bank is likely to cut rates in September as well, but it is unlikely that the Fed chairman will give a clear signal toward that this week. He added: “It is probably still too early for them (the Fed) to have full confidence in the possibility of cutting rates again.”

The most prominent event for investors on Monday was the White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the participation of some European leaders, while Washington pressed Kyiv to accept a quick peace deal to end the bloodiest war in Europe in 80 years.

Trump had met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday, and they agreed on the need to work on a peace agreement without reaching a ceasefire.

Analysts at ING Bank said in a research note that “financial markets are still trading as if there is – an undefined path yet – that may lead to peace.” The note added: “With the rise of high-risk assets and the decline in energy prices, we expect the dollar to remain under slight pressure, with dollar-dependent investors continuing to pump money.”

A senior official in Trump’s foreign policy team indicated on Sunday that the president may offer Ukraine protection similar to that provided by NATO, while Russia is open to this idea.

In other currency markets, the dollar rose by 0.1% against the Japanese yen, recording 147.38, while the Swiss franc fell 0.1% to 0.8069.

The Japanese government had ignored on Friday rare and candid remarks from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said that the Bank of Japan is “behind the curve” in its policies, in a statement considered pressure on the Japanese central bank to raise interest rates.

As for the Australian dollar, it rose 0.1% to 0.6515 dollars, while the New Zealand dollar climbed 0.3% to 0.5941 dollars after it had fallen 0.5% last week.

In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin halted its strong rally and retreated from a record level, as it fell by 2% to trade at 115,362.46 dollars. Similarly, Ether dropped by 4.3% to 4,275.85 dollars, after touching last week its highest levels in about four years.

Gold prices rose in the European market on Monday to hold above a two-week low recorded earlier in Asian trading, with buying activity emerging from low levels ahead of talks between the United States and Ukraine to end the war ongoing in Eastern Europe for more than three years.

The recovery of the precious metal "gold" is being capped by the rise of the US dollar in the foreign exchange market, as markets await further evidence on whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September.

Price Overview

• Gold prices today: Gold rose by about 0.7% to $3,358.46, from the opening level of $3,336.08, and recorded a low at $3,323.64, the lowest since August 1.

• At Friday’s settlement, gold prices posted a rise of less than 0.1%, their third gain in the last four days, supported by the decline in the US dollar.

• Gold lost 1.8% last week, marking the first weekly loss in three weeks, after the release of strong US producer price and retail sales data.

US-Ukraine Talks

The main event for investors on Monday is a meeting between Trump and Zelensky, joined by some European leaders, as Washington presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end the deadliest war in Europe in 80 years.

Trump is relying on Zelensky to reach an agreement following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where he appeared more aligned with Moscow in seeking a peace deal rather than a ceasefire first.

Sources familiar with Moscow’s thinking said Russia would give up small pockets of occupied Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv would abandon large swathes of its eastern lands that Moscow has failed to control, under peace proposals discussed by Putin and Trump during their Alaska summit.

US Dollar

The US dollar index rose by more than 0.2% on Monday, beginning to recover from a two-week low, reflecting a rebound in the US currency against a basket of major and minor peers.

US Interest Rates

• Following strong US producer price and retail sales data, and according to CME’s FedWatch tool: the probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut at the September meeting fell from 99% to 85%, while the probability of no change rose from 1% to 15%.

• The probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut in October fell from 99% to 93%, while the probability of no change rose from 1% to 7%.

• Expectations of a 50-basis-point rate cut in either the September or October meetings have completely disappeared.

• Alberto Musalem, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, said a half-point rate cut in September is unjustified, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested it was possible.

• To reprice these probabilities, investors are closely watching US economic data and comments from Federal Reserve officials.

Gold Outlook

Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade, said: Gold was in a defensive position at the start of the day but managed to reverse course as buyers emerged around $3,330 as an investment option. US Treasury yields gave up part of Friday’s gains, which also helped ease the pressure on gold prices.

Waterer added: We are currently seeing limited moves in both directions ahead of what could be crucial White House meetings this week with Zelensky returning to Washington.

SPDR Fund

Gold holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed ETF, rose by about 4.01 metric tons on Friday, bringing the total to 965.37 metric tons, the highest since September 9, 2022.

The euro rose in the European market on Monday against a basket of global currencies, maintaining its gains for the second consecutive day against the US dollar, nearing a two-week high, ahead of an important meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The odds of a European interest rate cut in September have declined, due to persistent inflationary pressures currently weighing on monetary policymakers at the European Central Bank. To reassess those odds, investors are awaiting the release of more economic data from the eurozone.

Price Overview

• Today’s euro exchange rate: the euro rose against the dollar by 0.1% to (1.1715$), from Friday’s closing price of (1.1703$), recording a low of (1.1693$).

• The euro ended Friday’s session up about 0.5% against the dollar, resuming gains that had paused the previous day amid corrections and profit-taking from the two-week high at 1.1730$.

• The euro posted a 0.55% gain against the dollar last week, marking its second consecutive weekly increase, driven by fading expectations of a European rate cut versus rising expectations of a US rate cut.

Trump – Zelenskiy Meeting

The main event for investors on Monday is a meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy, joined by some European leaders, at a time when Washington is pressuring Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end the bloodiest war in Europe in 80 years.

Trump is relying on Zelensky to reach a deal after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where he appeared more aligned with Moscow in seeking a peace agreement rather than a ceasefire first.

European Interest Rates

• Recent eurozone inflation data showed persistent pressures on monetary policymakers at the European Central Bank.

• According to some Reuters sources, a clear majority at the ECB’s latest meeting favored keeping interest rates unchanged in September, for the second consecutive meeting.

• Money market pricing for a potential 25-basis-point rate cut by the ECB in September is currently stable below 30%.

• To reassess these odds, investors in the coming period are awaiting further economic data from Europe, along with remarks from ECB officials.