Following weeks of tensions over Russia troops assigned along Ukraine's border, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered several units in the area to return to their bases. According to the EU, over 100,000 Russian troops had gathered near the border as well as in Crimea, which Russia captured and annexed in 2014.
Shoigu said in Crimea that units on exercise will return to base. He added that the goals of the "snap checks" had been met.
Ukrainian Forces Mobilize Near Mariupol Port Amid Conflict With Russia MARIUPOL, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: Ukraine's sea border security force mobilises on the Azov Sea on November 28, 2018 in Mariupol, Ukraine. Ukrainain President Poroshenko has declared martial law in response to the attacking and seizing of three Ukrainian naval vessels by Russian forces.
Russia withdraws troops in Ukraine border
The decision to "de-escalate" tensions at the border was accepted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had previously challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit him in the conflict zone. Last week, President Zelensky discussed the troop build-up with European officials. Russian military units have been pushing into the Rostov, Bryansk, and Voronezh areas, as well as Crimea, said Ukraine's armed forces commander, with battalion tactical groups deployed on the border.
Following Shoigu's announcement, Nato stated that any attempt to de-escalate the situation would be vital and long overdue. The Western military alliance remained vigilant, according to the statement.
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NATO leaders have scheduled a summit in June, with Russia at the top of the agenda. Despite dismissing the build-up as training exercises in reaction to threatening Nato's behavior, Russia is said to be preparing to close off parts of the Black Sea to foreign shipping. Ukraine is concerned that its ports will be affected, as per the BBC.
Military exercises involving tens of thousands of troops and scores of warships near Ukraine were called off by Russia's defense minister on Friday, escalating tensions with the West. Following weeks of intensified violence in Ukraine's east between government forces and pro-Moscow separatists, President Vladimir Putin welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Moscow for negotiations.
However, the Russian leader seemed to dismiss Zelensky's plan to meet in war-torn eastern Ukraine, saying that talks about the years-long conflict should be held directly with separatists. The West has consistently urged Putin to withdraw troops, and the US said on Thursday that it will wait for Moscow to follow through on its declaration that military exercises near Ukraine would stop, IBT reported.
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The US watches Ukraine border as Russia withdraw troops
On Thursday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US is closely monitoring Russian efforts to withdraw troops from its border with Ukraine, bringing an end to a volatile few weeks in which Moscow and Kyiv seemed to be on the verge of war. Russia's defense minister requested troops to return to permanent bases on Ukraine's eastern border and on Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, which Moscow secretly occupied in 2014, as per The Associated Press.
The United States has consistently voiced concern about Russia's military activity near Ukraine, describing it as the country's biggest military buildup since 2014, when war erupted in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region with Russian-backed separatists and Moscow annexed Crimea. At least 100,000 Russian forces were reported to be massing along the border by the European Union, and a Wall Street Journal report revealed more warplanes, troops, and weapons than had previously been revealed.
Price stated that the US will continue to watch the situation, working with Ukrainian officials and other allies to keep an eye on Russia's troop withdrawal plans. "We have made it clear in our engagement with the Russian government that it must refrain from increasing measures and immediately halt all offensive activity in and around Ukraine," Price said, referring to Russia's recent military buildup in occupied Crimea and along Ukraine's border, as well as its plan to block those vessels in parts of the Black Sea.
Price reaffirmed his support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Russia's declaration that it would pull forces, writing on Twitter that the decision reduces tension.
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