Russia announced on Tuesday morning that it would be withdrawing some of its troops located near the Ukrainian border, which is leading to some “cautious optimism” from NATO and leaders in Ukraine during a time when concerns about a Putin-led invasion of the country are very high.
NATO chief executive, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that the move is a sign for a bit of optimism after weeks of increased tension.
“There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism. But so far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side,” Stoltenberg wenton to say Tuesday morning.
Ukraine’s defense minister, Dmytro Kuleba, went on to speak about the news of the withdraw, saying, “We have a rule: don’t believe what you hear, believe what you see. When we see a withdrawal, we will believe in a de-escalation.”
The Wall Street Journal announced that the withdrawal will still leave over 120,000 Russian troops close to the region.
“Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had pulled back some troops from near Ukraine while noting that large-scale military maneuvers were continuing and Western officials warned that combat units were moving into forward positions,” it said.
“The announced pullback scales down a total force that is still estimated to number more than 120,000, and came amid a new round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at defusing the crisis. Moscow has warned of unspecified consequences if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands,” the report continued.
A BBC report also warned that there may not be anything new regarding the troop movements.
“We have always said that after the exercises are over… troops would return to their permanent bases. There’s nothing new here. This is a usual process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov went on to say to reporters, according to a piece by the BBC.
The new reports also follow discussions between Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who traveled to Russia for negotiations. Scholz’s trip to Russia followed his visit to Kyiv on Monday to negotiate a diplomatic resolution to tensions between the two countries.
U.S. Department of State Antony Blinken shared on Monday that the U.S. “is in the process of temporarily relocating our Embassy operations in Ukraine from our Embassy in Kyiv to Lviv due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.”
“In the meantime, I have ordered these measures for one reason – the safety of our staff – and we strongly urge any remaining U.S. citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately,” Blinken stated in conclusion, posting up a link to an online form those “seeking emergency assistance in Ukraine” should use, after which “the State Department will follow-up, as appropriate.”
Just in: Blinken announces that the US “is in the process of temporarily relocating our Embassy operations in Ukraine from our Embassy in Kyiv to Lviv due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.” Kyiv embassy closing for now. pic.twitter.com/5VHTumr2cX
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) February 14, 2022
Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, stated on Monday in a Facebook post that his country was expecting to be attacked this week by Russia, according to a report published by CNN.
However, Ukrainian officials have stated that the president’s remarks were “ironic.”
CNN has been told by Mykhailo Podoliak, a Presidential adviser, that Zelensky was being ironic with his comment –> https://t.co/RtPtmZOnyf
— Kylie Atwood (@kylieatwood) February 14, 2022