First Published Feb 16, 2022, 1:01 PM IST
MaRussia claims to have withdrawn its troops from the Ukrainian border after a long conflict. But Ukraine also said it would look directly at Russia if it was convinced that it had withdrawn its troops, rather than Russia’s word. “Do not believe what you hear, only believe what you see,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov responded to Russia’s withdrawal. Russia says it has withdrawn some troops from the border shortly after US intelligence reported that Russian tanks were moving toward war-torn areas. But Ukraine is not yet ready to believe Russia’s word. Ukraine said its observers and ground evidence provided no indication that Russia was withdrawing. However, there are reports that Russia is withdrawing troops from the border and seeking possible violence from within Ukraine. As part of this, Russia is reportedly trying to liberate the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk with the help of Russian money groups to turn against Ukraine.
The announcement of Russia’s withdrawal from the Ukrainian border was welcomed by NATO and Western nations with caution but with optimism. Chief Executive Jens Stoltenberg said there was still room for optimism despite Russia’s indications that diplomacy to end the crisis was not yet closed.
Russia has a large military presence near Ukraine and the ability of Russian forces to attack in a short period of time. Russia says some units on the border are returning after military exercises. However, reports say that no evidence of this has been found.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov’s first response was that the NATO alliance had prevented escalation of the conflict. ‘We have a rule: do not believe what you hear, believe what you see. When we see a withdrawal, we believe that the conflict has been mitigated. ‘ He said.
After Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also expressed doubts about Russia’s withdrawal. He accused Russia of continuing to build field hospitals that could only be considered “preparations for attack”.
Russia’s withdrawal comes hours after Washington warned that Russian tanks and troops were advancing on their final assault positions and that rocket batteries and artillery units were moving within range of their attack targets.
The U.S. has said Russia and Ukraine will strike at 3 a.m. Wednesday. Russia, however, retorted that this was just US propaganda. Russia has repeatedly said it has no plans to invade Ukraine.
Meanwhile, after French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholes and Putin held talks on two sides of a table 20 feet apart to resolve the crisis.
Russia, meanwhile, has released a number of videos claiming to have withdrawn its troops. It depicts some military vehicles being loaded onto trucks from the Crimean peninsula, which was seized from Ukraine in 2014. The Russian troops, who had earlier conducted joint military exercises with Belarus, also returned.
However, satellite imagery showed an increase in military presence in Russian territories along the Ukrainian border, such as Solotia. There are also reports of new helicopters and warplanes at air bases along the Crimean-Russian border.
The U.S. response was that the threat of Russian aggression was still real. Following this, the US Embassy in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was ordered to close temporarily. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the embassy’s computer and other items were destroyed. India also asked its citizens to leave Ukraine and return home.
It is reported that Russian lawmakers will today consider a resolution calling on Putin to officially recognize two territories in the Donbass region of Ukraine as tensions persist.
Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine are strongholds of Russian rebel groups. At the time of Crimea’s occupation in 2014, independence had been declared in Donetsk and Luhansk. Since then, these areas have been in an armed struggle against the Russian-backed Ukrainian government.
As part of the resolution, Russia promised to discuss security with regional leaders in both regions and to ensure the protection of the people of these regions from external threats and genocide.
Russia used the same tactic to invade Ukraine in 2014 and conquer Crimea. Therefore, observers believe that Russia’s move is a prelude to invasion. However, no announcement has been made as to Putin’s reaction to the move by the Russian parliament.
The US and UK do not seem to believe Russia’s retreat. Boris Johnson last said that Europe was “on the verge of a storm.” But he added that “there is still time for President Putin to step down.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also said that “all the elements” were in place for a strong Russian offensive. But he added that there was no evidence that Putin had decided to launch an attack.
If Russia violates Ukraine’s regional integrity again, we know what to do, “said German Chancellor Olaf Scholes. He reiterated to Russia that in the event of a military escalation on the border, we are ready to coordinate with our allies for far-reaching and effective sanctions.
He added that there was no logical reason for the deployment of more than 130,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s northern, southern and eastern borders. He said further discussions were needed to resolve the issue. He said Putin was in favor of the talks.
At the same time, UK Secretary of Defense List Truss reiterated that a Russian occupation seemed imminent and that Russian troops could reach Kiev ‘very, very quickly’. “It’s about Europe’s broader stability, it’s about broader global stability, this is the message we are sending to the aggressors, the message that Vladimir Putin must give is that there is no reward for aggression,” she added.
‘We need to see the full removal of the military to show that Russia’s words are true.’ He also accused Russia of using “false flag” operations to launch a conflict. “The chances of an invasion are still high,” she told reporters.
