LONDON (MarketWatch) -- President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday Russian troops have pulled back from the Ukrainian border, according to Russian news agency Interfax. The Russian leader also called for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's southeastern regions to postpone a May 11 referendum on autonomy, the report said. As well, Putin has agreed to a proposal from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to start direct, roundtable talks between Kiev and representatives of the southeastern areas of Ukraine. The S&P 500 index (SPX) earlier Wednesday gained ground after Putin said he's prepared to discuss a way out of the Ukraine crisis with the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Reuters reported. The S&P 500, however, eventually turned lower. Russian stocks rose, with the blue-chip MICEX climbing 3.6% and the RTS index gaining 4.7%.
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