The gold price picked up nicely, and silver even more so in percentage terms, when markets opened in Europe and the U.S. on Monday, although it remains to be seen whether the gains so made can be sustained throughout the day, let alone the week ahead. The principal stimulus appears to have been renewed safe haven demand following President Putin’s announcement on Friday that Russia was annexing Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts as integral parts of the Russian state. This followed on from the hastily-arranged dubious referenda which had appeared to confirm, according to the Russians, that ... (full story)