NATO said on Thursday that he still does not see a levy of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border, two days after Moscow announced it would be reduce his presence there, raising hopes of relaxation in a tense situation.
“There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy could continue, but so far we have not seen any sign of withdrawal or de-escalation,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told defense ministers’ talks in Brussels.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said nearly 60% of Land of Russia combat forces were now concentrated near the Ukrainian borders, 150,000 or more in real terms. Russia is accumulating soldiers and equipment the for several months, raising fears in Kyiv and other western capitals which plans for a invasion could be running.
Wallace’s comments came after a high-ranking White House official said that despite Moscow’s claims to the contrary, he was still sending troops to the border – possibly up to 7,000 troops in The last days.
European Union leaders must discuss the crisis on margins of a Brussels summit on Thusday.
Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, and has also supported pro-Russian separatists in the Eastern Donbass of son neighbor region who fight against Ukrainian government forces. The latter are supported by NATO countries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would respond on Thursday to a letter sent by the United States on a set of Russian security requirements made in the current crisis. These include the fact that Ukraine has never join NATO and that the alliance draws back stationed troops in Eastern Europe since 2014.
