Ukrainian president says Russian troops remain near Ukraine

Ukraine’s president is claiming that Russia has maintained a massive military presence near his country’s borders

KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's president said Wednesday that Russia has maintained a massive military presence near his country's borders. Speaking during a meeting with a group of visiting U.S. senators, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy charged that Moscow had withdrawn only a fraction of the forces it concentrated near Ukraine in April, a buildup that worried the West as well as Ukraine. The Russian buildup came amid regular cease-fire violations in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, and fueled fears that full-scale hostilities would resume. The Russian military announced a pullback of its troops following the completion of drills in late April. But it ordered the troops to leave their weapons behind in southwest Russia near Ukraine for another big military exercise set for September.