Stocks steady as Blinken agrees to meet Russia's foreign minister

Investors fear a wider war as one of the deepest crises in post-Cold War relations plays out, with Russia wanting security guarantees, including Ukraine's never joining NATO

U.S. stock futures bounced on Friday and selling pressure eased in Asian share markets after the U.S. Secretary of State agreed to a meeting with Russia's foreign minister, raising hopes for a diplomatic solution to the East-West standoff over Ukraine.

S&P 500 futures jumped 0.5% on the news and Nasdaq futures rose 0.6%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia shares outside Japan was last down 0.5%, but markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney and Seoul all pared deeper morning losses.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accepted an invitation to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov late next week provided Russia