Russia shows some troops leaving near Ukraine, seeks talks
The Hindu
Mr. Putin said he doesn't want war, and called for “peaceful” discussions over Ukraine's bid to join NATO
said on Tuesday that Moscow is ready for security talks with the U.S. and NATO, as the Russian military announced a partial troop withdrawal from drills near Ukraine — new signs that may suggest a Russian invasion of its neighbour isn't imminent despite snowballing Western fears.
Mr. Putin said he doesn't want war, and called for “peaceful” discussions over Ukraine's bid to join NATO, which Moscow sees as a major threat. The overtures from Russia offered possible new impetus for diplomatic efforts to ease the worst East-West tensions in decades, which have put Europe on edge and rattled global markets.
But concerns remain. NATO and Western governments said they had seen no signs of de-escalation yet Tuesday, despite the Russian Defense Ministry's announcement that it is pulling back forces from maneuvers that had heightened concerns about an invasion. Russia gave no details on where the troops were pulling back from, or how many.
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