Russia begins withdrawing troops after build-up near Ukraine border
- The move is expected to ease tensions with the West over Russia’s massive military build-up in the area
- Putin says Ukraine’s Zelensky is welcome to come to Moscow if he wants to discuss normalising ties
Russia on Friday began withdrawing its armed forces that had been running drills near the borders of Ukraine following weeks of heightened tensions between Moscow and the West over the troop build-up.
The build-up, which came amid an increase in fighting between Kiev’s forces and pro-Russia eastern separatists since the start of the year, raised deep concerns in Ukraine and drew warnings from its Western allies.
Moscow on Thursday said tens of thousands of troops deployed to southern and western Russia for exercises in recent weeks would be returning to their bases. The defence ministry confirmed the withdrawal on Friday.
“Military units and formations are currently marching to the coast, railway loading stations and airfields, and loading onto landing ships, railway platforms and military transport aircraft,” it said in a statement.
Kiev’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba greeted the news with cautious optimism, saying the drawdown would help to “ease tensions”. But he warned that “this step in and of itself does not halt the escalation or the conflict as a whole”.
“Ukraine calls on its partners to remain vigilant for now, to continue to monitor the situation closely and to take effective measures to contain Russia,” he said in a statement.