Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had withdrawn some troops from the Ukrainian border and was open to renewed talks to end a standoff with the West, but U.S. and European officials said they had seen no evidence of a significant drawdown of forces.
Mr. Putin’s comments Tuesday were part of a recent string of mixed messages from the Kremlin and capped a day of diplomacy and military maneuvering that left Western leaders puzzled about his intentions as roughly 130,000 heavily armed Russian soldiers were positioned around Ukraine.
Earlier Tuesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said a relatively small number of troops had completed exercises and were headed back to their bases. But it emphasized that large-scale maneuvers were continuing across a broad front.
At a press conference after a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Mr. Putin said, “There is nothing to comment on here. A decision was made to partially withdraw troops.”
The Russian leader said Moscow was “ready to follow the negotiation track” but that the implementation of Russian demands, including a halt to expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, are “an unconditional priority for us.” / Argumentum.al
