NATO reacts to Russia’s claim of troops withdrawal

MOSCOW: NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he sees hope for diplomacy to put an end to the standoff between Russia and the West. Moscow announced its troops have begun returning to their bases following exercises in Belarus, close to the border of Ukraine. 

Speaking at a news conference ahead of a meeting with defense ministers from member states on Tuesday, the military bloc’s chief set out his assessment of the current climate on the Russia-Ukraine situation.

“So far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground, we have not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine,” he claimed. “But we will continue to monitor and to follow closely what Russia is doing,” he added.

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Stoltenberg also told media that despite these speculations, however, there are “signs coming from Moscow about the willingness to continue to engage in diplomatic efforts. That gives us some reason for cautious optimism, but we will of course follow very closely what is happening on the ground.”

“What we need to see is a significant sign and enduring withdrawal of forces, traps and the heavy equipment,” NATO’s Secretary General further added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Moscow’s Ministry of Defense announced that its troops had completed their joint training drills in Beralus and would begin the process of withdrawing.”

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It should also be noted that the Western leaders have been expressing their fears for months that Russia could be planning an invasion of its neighbour, and have pointed to reports of a troop buildup on the two countries’ shared border, as well as the exercises with Minsk as a potential precursor. An unnamed US (United States) State Department official warned in January that the drills could be linked to “plans for a possible offensive” against Ukraine.

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