US Dollar flat as geopolitical takes centre stage

The Greenback steadies and trades sideways on Monday after a soft start in Asia. 

All eyes shift back to geopolitics, with the Biden Administration delivering the green light for Ukraine to use long-range US missiles for targets in Russia. 

The US Dollar index holds ground above 106.50 while looking for direction. 

The US Dollar (USD) consolidates on Monday after a very calm start of the week in the Asian session, with the US Dollar Index (DXY), which gauges the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, slightly in the red near a fresh year-to-date high reached last Thursday above 106.50. The main driver for the currency on Monday is the green light from the Biden Administration on Sunday for Ukraine to use long-range US missiles to target Russian infrastructures within Russian borders, just ahead of the G20 meeting in Rio De Janeiro this Monday. 

The US response comes after Moscow deployed nearly 50,000 troops to Kursk, the southern Russian region. Reporting on that, “the change comes largely in response to Russia's deployment of North Korean ground troops to supplement its own forces, a development that has caused alarm in Washington and Kyiv,” Reuters said.,. 

The US economic calendar is very light this Monday. Besides a speech by Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee, nothing really market moving on the docket. Markets will instead look out for the G20 meeting and comments around Ukraine.