France's CAC 40 dipped 0.4% in early trading to 7,135.23. Germany's DAX slipped 0.2% to 15,797.27. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.8% to 7,403.10. The futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures were down 0.2%.
Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said such geopolitical uncertainties have set off a cautious mood. In Asian trading, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost nearly 0.3% to finish at 32,698.81. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.5% to 2,582.20. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.5% to 18,794.13, while the Shanghai Composite, reopening after a holiday, dropped 1.5% to 3,150.62. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3% to 7,078.70.