The Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday the start of a scheduled withdrawal of part of the Russian troops deployed on the border with Ukraine but stressed that Russia “will continue to move its troops around the country as it sees fit.”
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin “always said that after the training was over, the soldiers would return to their permanent bases. Nothing new here. It’s a normal process.”
The move offers a glimmer of hope that the Kremlin may not be planning to invade Ukraine soon, though no details on the withdrawal were given.
The announcement came a day after Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov said his country was ready to continue talks on “security grievances” that led to the Ukrainian crisis, a shift of tone after weeks of heightened tension.
“Western officials, however, continued to warn of an invasion at any moment, saying that some Russian troops and military equipment were moving towards the border,” Peskov said.
The Russian decision pushed up global markets and the value of the Russian Ruble, but Ukraine’s leaders expressed skepticism.
In response to the partial withdrawal, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said that “Russia has been consistently making mixed statements. That’s why we have a rule: We won’t believe when we hear, we’ll believe when we see. When we see the troops withdraw, we will believe that the escalation has stopped.”
