NATO: At the moment we do not see a clear Russian withdrawal of forces

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg again called on Moscow on Wednesday to show that it was withdrawing troops from areas near its border with Ukraine, noting that Russian military and tank movements are often circular and not circular or transient. retreat deeper into Russian territory.

“It remains to be seen whether we have a Russian withdrawal … What we are seeing is that they have increased the number of soldiers, while other soldiers are on their way to the area,” Stoltenberg said at the start of the two-day summit. Ministers of Defense of the 30 member countries of the Alliance.

“If they do start withdrawing forces, that would be something we would welcome. Anyway, forces are constantly moving back and forth, so the observation of such movements alone does not prove a real withdrawal,” he said. of NATO.

Withdrawal

Russia’s Defense Ministry released a video earlier today showing tanks and military vehicles leaving the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014, after completing military exercises there.

The deployment of Russian troops in Crimea has fueled concerns about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement: “Units of the Southern Military District, which have completed their participation in regular high schools in test areas of the Crimean peninsula, are being directed by trains back to their permanent bases.”

Russian television broadcast footage of a train carrying tanks crossing the bridge across the Kerch Strait, built by Moscow to annex Crimea to Russian territory.

Shortly afterwards, according to a telegram from Interfax, Russia was preparing to withdraw additional military forces from the Ukrainian peninsula (which Moscow has occupied and annexed since 2014).

On Tuesday, Russia announced the “partial” withdrawal of its troops, who had been deployed for weeks on the border with Ukraine, as a sign of the escalation of the crisis.

Europeans and Americans are still waiting for evidence of a mass withdrawal of Russian troops, but at the same time say they are optimistic. Moscow has not specified how many troops have withdrawn from the border with Ukraine, nor the timetable for their withdrawal.

More than 100,000 Russian troops are deployed near the Ukrainian border, according to the West.

At the same time, the joint Russian-Belarusian military high schools continue until February 20.

Source: Capital

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