Germany’s DAX strengthened further, closing 1.8% higher at 24,291 on Monday, with the defense sector at the forefront of broad-based market gains. Hensoldt (+6.9%), Rheinmetall (5.9%) and Renk (+5.6%) advanced solidly after Ukrainian President Zelensky reportedly endured a hostile US meeting and failed to secure Tomahawk missiles, leaving Europe as his only option for rearmament. European leaders are set to hold a summit on Thursday in Brussels, potentially with Zelensky, to discuss using frozen Russian assets for a €140 billion loan to Ukraine. At the same time, the ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile. Market sentiment was further boosted by easing concerns over the US banking sector and Trump's softer tone on China, with a new round of trade talks scheduled for this week in Malaysia. Tech stocks also saw strong gains, led by Infineon Technologies (+5.1%), SAP (+3.3%), and Siemens (+2.2%).