Blinken: 'We Have Not Yet Seen the Withdrawal of Russian Forces from Ukraine's Border'

The U.S. has not yet observed the withdrawal of Russian military personnel from Ukraine's border. This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an interview with ICTV.

“We have not yet seen the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine's border,” Blinken told ICTV.

Western nations continue to make statements that Russia is allegedly preparing provocations in Ukraine, despite the fact that Russian troops have returned to their locations after exercises. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. During the meeting, the head of Russia’s Defense Ministry reported to Putin that “some of the exercises are nearing completion, while others will conclude soon.”

Yesterday, on February 15, Igor Konashenkov, the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, informed journalists that the Southern and Western military districts of Russia have begun to return troops to their bases.

“Returning military personnel to their bases after exercises is standard practice; there is nothing new here,” said Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian president, in response to journalists' questions about whether the withdrawal of troops signifies de-escalation of the situation around Ukraine.

At the same time, Peskov, when responding to questions from journalists regarding NATO's statements about the lack of signs of de-escalation at the Ukraine border, noted that NATO has problems assessing the situation.