European mining stocks led the decline in the benchmark Stoxx 600 index, as copper prices fell following the latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes, which dampened expectations for further interest rate cuts. Rio Tinto's flat earnings also pressured the sector. The Stoxx 600 Basic Resources index dropped as much as 2.6%, becoming the worst-performing sector in European equity markets. Rio Tinto fell 3.9%, making it the weakest performer in the sector. This came after the mining company reported unchanged annual profits. Antofagasta declined 3.7%, Voestalpine dropped 2.5%, Glencore decreased 2.3%, and Anglo American slipped 2.0%. At 8:55 local time, copper prices on the London Metal Exchange edged down 0.2% to $12,880 per tonne. Iron ore and aluminum prices also declined in tandem.