Indices are struggling to make gains

NEW YORK (dpa-AFX) – The recently strong US stock markets only made it to the plus with difficulty on Thursday. The leading index Dow Jones Industrial gained more than half an hour after the start of trading 0.09 percent to 34,092.99 points. For the market-wide S&P 500 was up 0.31 percent to 4371.36 points, and the tech-heavy select index Nasdaq 100 rose by 0.40 percent to 14,012.67 points.

Statements by the Russian government that reports of major progress in talks between Russia and Ukraine were false caused disillusionment. Nevertheless, the warring parties would continue to talk to each other. In the past few days, statements from the negotiating delegations had raised hopes of a cautious rapprochement.

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