Russian President Putin told heads of major news agencies in St. Petersburg on April 4 that Russia is prepared to make compromises on Ukraine but must first convince Kyiv this is the case. He said Russia does not oppose Ukraine joining the EU but opposes the EU becoming a military alliance. Putin said the EU could play a constructive role by persuading Kyiv to accept a compromise rather than supplying weapons. He added Russia wants to sign any agreement with Ukraine's "legitimate representatives

China's A-share benchmarks were lower at midday after an early dip and brief rebound: Shanghai Composite -0.43%, Shenzhen Composite -0.46%, ChiNext -1.1%. CSSC-related names outperformed, with Zhongchuan Teqi and China Power hitting limit-up, and Jiuzhiyang and Zhongchuan Hanguang among the top gainers. Coal mining and processing stocks recovered to lead gains; Antai Group, Pingmei, Dayou Energy hit limit-up, while Zhengzhou Coal & Power, Huaibei Mining and Shaanxi Black Cat also rose. Storage-chip plays strengthened—Shanghai Silicon Industry rallied over 15% intraday; Taiji Industrial and Dawei shares hit limit-up, with Baiwei Storage, Jiangbolong and Demingli higher. Oil and gas exploration and services lagged in early trade, led lower by Tongyuan Petroleum and Keli Co.

NASA said on the 3rd a strong solar flare peaked at 07:28 ET (19:28 Beijing) and was classified X1.0. NOAA has issued a strong geomagnetic storm warning, expected to persist through the 5th. The storm may disrupt communications, power grids, navigation, radio and satellite operations. Auroras could be visible across multiple northern US states and parts of the Midwest.