The US dollar held near eight-month highs against the euro on Wednesday as worries over tougher sanctions on Russia and their potential impact on fragile euro zone growth weighed on the single currency. The euro was last unchanged on the day at US $1.3465. It is down from US $1.37 two weeks ago.
The dollar gained 0.16 percent against the British pound to US $1.7034, after Bank of England minutes failed to boost expectations of an interest rate hike by year-end. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was steady on the day at 80.764, not far from a Tuesday high of 80.837 touched on expectations that higher US interest rates are on the horizon.