Rouble marks worst day in 15 months Eastern European stocks...

• Rouble marks worst day in 15 months
• Eastern European stocks tumble
• Brazil's real at near 2-month high

(Adds details, updates prices)

Russia's rouble plummeted on Thursday and European markets tumbled as tensions ramped up between Moscow and Washington, while Latin American currencies rose against a weaker dollar.

The rouble RUB= slumped 2.5%, marking its worst day in 15 months after the Kremlin said talks with the United States and NATO this week had been "unsuccessful" in bridging fundamental differences over the Ukraine crisis and Moscow's demands that NATO pull back from central and eastern Europe.

The United States said it had largely settled on the options for sanctions against Russia should it invade Ukraine and would be prepared to impose them as soon as any tanks roll.

Russian stocks .IMOEX sank 4%, while MSCI's index of eastern European equities .MIME00000PUS dropped 4.4%. Poland's foreign minister warned that Europe was at risk of plunging into war over the Ukraine issue.

In Latin America, Brazil's real BRBY BRL= rose 0.4% to near two-month highs, with data showing Brazil's services activity returned to positive territory in November with a much stronger-than-expected gain.

But with weaker-than-expected industrial production and civil construction inputs, Citigroup strategists now expect fourth-quarter Gross Domestic Product to contract. Tighter monetary policy and rising Omicron cases are also expected to cause a contraction in 2022 annual GDP.

With the dollar taking a hit as speculation about tighter U.S. monetary policy eased, most other Latam currencies traded steady to higher with Colombia's peso COP= hitting one-month highs.

Among stocks, Brazilian meatpackers BRF BRFS3.SA , Marfrig MRFG3.SA and JBS JBSS3.SA jumped between 1.8% and 5%. BRF signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund to create a joint venture to make poultry products in the Middle Eastern country.

Miner Vale VALE3.SA slid 1% as iron ore prices dipped on demand uncertainty. JPMorgan sees cost inflation ruling miners' earnings in the second half of 2022, and expects Rio Tinto RIO.L , BHP (BHP) and Vale to retain conservative guidance, and supply to remain tight in 2022.

In Argentina, inflation likely rose back up to 3.6% in December, a Reuters poll showed, which would be the highest level since last April. The country's central bank recently hiked the benchmark interest rate to 40%, its first increase in over a year.

Elsewhere, China Evergrande Group's 3333.HK main unit Hengda Real Estate Group has reached an agreement with bondholders to delay payments for a 4.5 billion yuan ($707.5 million) onshore bond, Hengda said in a filing on Thursday.

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies:

							  Latest		Daily % change 
 MSCI Emerging Markets		 1264.65				   -0.21 
  .MSCIEF								

 MSCI LatAm					2208.83					0.93 
  .MILA00000PUS						  

 Brazil Bovespa			  106037.26					0.33 
  .BVSP								  

 Mexico IPC				   53872.32				   -0.15 
  .MXX								   

 Chile IPSA					4511.81					0.09 
  .SPIPSA								

 Argentina MerVal			 85829.45				   0.857 
  .MERV								  

 Colombia COLCAP			   1463.74					 0.9 
  .COLCAP								

	   Currencies			 Latest		Daily % change 
 Brazil real		BRBY		5.5123					0.41 
										 
 Mexico peso				   20.3040					0.15 
  MXN=D2								 

 Chile peso	   CLP=		  816.83					0.75 
										 
 Colombia peso  COP=		   3963.41					0.18 
 Peru sol		 PEN=PE		3.8817					0.06 
										 
 Argentina peso			   103.7600				   -0.09 
 (interbank)  ARS=RASL				   

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RUB underperforms EM as geopol tensions rise	https://tmsnrt.rs/33ajH2X 

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