Shares in the European defense sector fell on Monday following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement that he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday.
As of 08:38 GMT, the European aerospace and defense index was down 2.01%, while the STOXX 600 was up 0.75% at the same time.
In Paris, Thales dropped 2.96% and Dassault Aviation slid 5.15%. Elsewhere in Europe, Hensoldt, Rheinmetall, Leonardo, Saab, and BAE Systems all lost between 2.37% and 8.84%.
Volodymyr Zelensky is set to travel to Istanbul on Thursday, May 15, at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, after Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed resuming direct peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
In a message on X, Volodymyr Zelensky also called for a complete ceasefire starting Monday.
For now, it remains unclear whether the Kremlin leader will attend the negotiations in Turkey in person.
(Written by Etienne Breban, with Anna Pruchnicka; edited by Augustin Turpin)
