A sense of relief over the easing of tensions between Russia and Ukraine lifted Asian stock markets Wednesday, AP reported. The Nikkei 225, the benchmark for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, gained 1.2 percent to close at 14,897.63. South Korea's Kospi also rose, adding 0.9 percent to 1,971.24. The main index for Thai shares added 0.2 percent to 1,348.81. Better sentiment rushed through global markets after Russia's President Vladimir Putin said his country was not seeking to escalate the conflict with Ukraine. But the Nikkei is having a hard time rising past 15,000 as players are waiting to sell at those levels, said Yutaka Miura, senior analyst at Mizuho Securities Co. in Tokyo. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 added 1.5 percent, to close Tuesday at 1,873.91, racking up its biggest gain since October. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 227.85 points, or 1.4 percent, to 16,395.88. The Nasdaq composite rose 74.67 points, or 1.8 percent, to 4,351.97. Stock markets in Europe, including in Moscow and Asia, already recouped a large chunk of Monday's losses. The turnaround came after Putin ordered tens of thousands of Russian troops participating in military exercises near Ukraine's eastern border to return to their bases. Benchmark crude for April delivery was up 3 cents at $103.36 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract dropped $1.59 to $103.33 on Tuesday.
