07:37 AM EDT, 08/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses inched lower midday Monday as traders awaited a pending meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, slated for the White House.

European leaders are expected to join the negotiations regarding a resolution of the Ukraine-Russia war.

Oil and retail stocks led gainers in continental trading floors, while bank issues lagged.

Investors also eyed modestly lower Wall Street futures, and choppy closes overnight on Asian exchanges, although Tokyo's Nikkei 225 Index struck a fresh all-time zenith.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.2% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 0.5%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 0.3%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index fell 0.1%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, was steady, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was up 0.3%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.3%, and the FTSE 100 in London was steady. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.8%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.6%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 2.76%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.3% at $66.06 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 5.2% to 16.62, but still 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.