A ceasefire on Putin’s terms may be possible provided Zelensky...

A ceasefire on Putin’s terms may be possible provided Zelensky and the West is prepared to compromise. A lose lose scenario currently unfolding which is a humanitarian crisis for Ukraine and a war that will be very costly for A Russia in isolation and Putin in a corner he can’t get out including loss of home support, can be turned into win win for both sides, which can include a carve out of eastern Ukraine into independent states, commitment to not join NATO and an unwinding of all sanctions in return of withdrawal of Russian troops, a new peace accord and security and status quo for Zelensky to retain power. Not ideal for the West that may want to see Putin lose power but at least helps prevent more bloodshed of innocent Ukrainians that are just pawns in the power struggle of the superpowers. And Putin will live to fight another day but becomes an untrustworthy world power. This is of course a hopeful case if Putin does not have ambitions beyond Ukraine.
But a brokered ceasefire can immediately help equity markets regain ground and cause energy and energy stocks to experience sharp declines alongside gold /gold stocks though more moderate.
It is difficult to truly understand Putin , no one knows except himself therefore if we trade or invest on certain premise or assumption, it is too easy to get it wrong or blindsided . Therefore best not to short or long and stay sidelined until the coast is clear. A hold on Gold is however warranted with a long term view because fiat currencies would be under pressure in due time. And it is meant to be an insurance not an all out stake.