India, Feb. 13 -- Asian stocks advanced on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump said that he had a "lengthy and highly productive phone call" with President Vladimir Putin of Russia and that Ukraine's NATO membership is not "practical," raising expectations for an end to the war in Ukraine.
Trump expects to meet Putin in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine peace talks, sparking concerns about Ukraine's exclusion.
The dollar stayed under pressure in Asian trading as a bond market sell-off paused and talks between the U.S and Russia helped improve overall risk sentiment in financial markets.
Gold held near record highs despite the latest U.S. CPI data reinforcing market expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain its aggressive monetary...