SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Gold was trading near its highest in three weeks on Tuesday as heightened tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine lifted the metal's safe-haven appeal.
Palladium continued to hold near its highest since August 2011 on worries over supply constrains from Russia and South Africa, the top two producers of the metal.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was steady at $1,325.90 an ounce by 0021 GMT, not too far from its 3-week high of $1,330.90 hit on Monday.
* Palladium was near its near three-year high of $816.10 on fears that U.S. sanctions on Russia would curb supply, and on prolonged mine strikes in South Africa.
* Pro-Russian separatists ignored an ultimatum to leave occupied government buildings in eastern Ukraine and instead seized more buildings as the government failed to follow through on a threatened military crackdown.
* U.S. President Barack Obama criticized Russia in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Monday, saying Moscow's actions in Ukraine were not conducive to a diplomatic solution.
* SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings rose 1.80 tonnes to 806.22 tonnes - the first inflow since March 24.
(Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Eric Meijer)
