Perhaps there were some concerns that Putin, following the Russian Security Council Meeting today, may lash out at the west with escalating retaliatory sanctions against the west of his own. He did not which may explain why futures just saw an algo-driven buying wave moments ago. Still, what he did say is hardly justification to declare an "all clear" for risk as Putin being Putin, he merely reiterated for the nth time the Russian party line: Ukraine should facilitate a cease fire, Russia won't "blink" no matter how intense western sanctions are, and Russia will retaliate in kind to any ongoing NATO build up on its borders. Oh, and Crimea is now Russia's to do as it sees fit.
Full comments from Bloomberg, Reuters and RIA
- PUTIN: RUSSIA WON'T `TIGHTEN THE SCREWS' IN RESPONSE TO THREATS
- PUTIN SEES `DEFIANT' NATO BUILDUP IN EASTERN EUROPE
- PUTIN WANTS `ADEQUATE, PROPORTIONATE' RESPONSE TO BORDER THREAT
- PUTIN: RUSSIA TO BOOST DEFENSE CAPABILITY AFTER NATO BUILDUP
- PUTIN: SAYS SEES INCREASE IN USE OF LANGUAGE OF "ULTIMATUMS AND SANCTIONS" TOWARD RUSSIA, CALLS FOR MORE DIALOGUE
- PUTIN SEES EFFORTS TO WEAKEN, DESTABILIZE RUSSIA
- PUTIN SAYS GOVT IN KIEV TOOK POWER USING UNCONSTITUTIONAL MEANS
- PUTIN URGES UKRAINE GOVT TO AGREE TO TRUCE, `HOWEVER BRIEF'
- PUTIN: RUSSIA CREATING ANEW MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE IN CRIMEA
- PUTIN: U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE OFFENSIVE SYSTEM TARGETING RUSSIA
- PUTIN: RUSSIA NEEDS FURTHER SAFEGUARDS TO DEFEND ECONOMY
- PUTIN: RUSSIA TO USE CRIMEA AS IT BOOSTS DEFENSE CAPABILITY
