Stock futures rose ahead of Friday’s session following a report that ceasefire talks could be gaining traction between Russia and Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “certain positive shifts” have occurred in the talks.

The report coincided with a sharp acceleration in stock futures, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures up 401 points or 1.2%, the S&P 500 rising 1.4% and the Nasdaq 100 jumping some 1.7%.

The moves came despite another day of higher energy prices, though they were well off their highs following the report on Putin’s comments. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, rose 1.4% to $107.46 while international standard Brent crude moved 1.6% higher to $111.04.