06:55 AM EST, 02/20/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Thursday as traders mulled the Ukraine-Russian war, and US President Donald Trump's statement on Wednesday that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was a "dictator."

Retail, property and banks stocks led gainers, while oil issues lagged.

Share in Germany's Thyssenkrupp rose 3.4% mid-session, extending week-long gains, as traders eyed the industrial conglomerate's defense-sector assets

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures mildly signaling red, but solidly lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, the prospects are for a rate cut from the European Central Bank (ECB) at its March policy session, member of the central bank's governing council and Bank of Lithuania Governor Gediminas Simkus told Econostream Media.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.3% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.4%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.5%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.1%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.1%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.5%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index inclined 0.5%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.5%, and the FTSE 100 in London was down 0.4%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.7%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 0.7%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.56%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.4% to $76.31 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 3.2% to 17.08, indicating below-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a positive signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.