Asian markets kicked off on edge this week as trade policy uncertainty from tariff threats rattled investor confidence. The shift is telling—nervous money is rotating into traditional safe havens like gold and bonds, while riskier assets face mounting pressure. Stocks are caught in limbo, waiting to see whether Europe will escalate or dial down the tension. The current setup screams defensive positioning: real yields rising, flight-to-safety flows accelerating, and risk appetite hanging by a thread. Anyone holding volatile positions should probably watch their exposure—geopolitical noise tends to spark sharp reversals before the dust settles.