Asia follows Wall Street lower amid simmering Ukraine crisis

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street lower as anxiety about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine rises. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney sank. Oil prices advanced on unease about possible disruption of Russian supplies. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index fell 1.8% to an eight-month low after the Kremlin said rebels in eastern Ukraine asked for military assistance. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Moscow appeared to be poised to invade. Investors already were uneasy about the possible impact of the Federal Reserve’s plans to try to cool inflation by withdrawing ultra-low interest rates and other stimulus that boosted share prices.