 Responding to news reports last week that the meeting would be held ahead of the U.S. presidential election, a Russian diplomat said Moscow would not attend because any Ukrainian preconditions to a peace plan amount to ultimatums. Ashley Westerman, NPR News, Kyiv. Crude oil futures prices moved lower today as concerns about demand from top importer China offset other U.S. economic news, whittled down 30 cents a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.