The US president said he expected to meet his Russian counterpart in Saudi Arabia "in the not too distant future" to find a route to ending the three-year conflict, which has fanned geopolitical fears and energy costs.

Trump said the two had held a "lengthy and highly productive" telephone conversation and added that he expected they would visit each other's countries.

The Kremlin said the call lasted nearly one-and-a-half hours and the leaders had agreed that the "time has come to work together".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "meaningful conversation" with Trump and that the leaders discussed ways to end the war.

News of the apparent thaw between the nuclear-armed powers provided a boost to risk appetite, with the euro and pound both rallying against the dollar.

Oil prices fell again Thursday, having shed more than two percent on Wednesday.

"If this push for peace gains traction, expect an even bigger unwind in war-premium assets and a fresh bid for riskier plays," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.

Tokyo climbed more than one percent on a weaker yen, while Sydney, Seoul, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok and Manila were also higher.

However, Hong Kong reversed early advances to end in negative territory following a recent AI-led rally, with losses also seen in Shanghai, Wellington and Jakarta. Singapore was flat.

London, which ended at a record high for the third straight day Wednesday, fell even as data showed the UK economy expanded 0.1 percent in the final three months of 2024, beating forecasts for a contraction.

Paris and Frankfurt were both up in early trade.

The gains came despite losses on Wall Street where investors were jolted by data on Wednesday showing consumer prices rose three percent last month, above expectations and faster than December.

Core prices, excluding food and energy, also came in hotter than estimates.

The readings dealt a blow to hopes that the Fed would continue to lower rates this year, having cut three times in 2024, with traders now pricing in just one, according to Bloomberg.

The figures came a day after bank chief Jerome Powell warned that policymakers were in no hurry to loosen monetary policy further, remarks echoed by other officials.

"In our view, the bottom line is clear: the Fed has no reason to cut further. Inflation seems to be stuck above target," analysts at BoA Global Research said in a note.

"The bar for hikes is still high, but they should be part of the conversation after today's data."

Soon after the data was released, Trump hit out at predecessor Joe Biden for fanning prices.

He also called for rates to be lowered, adding they would "go hand in hand" with his plans to impose tariffs on major US trading partners -- despite many economists arguing that both measures would boost inflation.

- Key figures around 0815 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.3 percent at 39,461.47 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.2 percent at 21,814.37 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,332.48 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 8,778.31

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0419 from $1.0387 on Wednesday

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2496 from $1.2446

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.30 yen from 154.39 yen

Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.38 pence from 83.40 pence

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.8 percent at $70.80 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.8 percent at $74.61 per barrel

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 44,368.56 (close)

dan/pbt

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