(15 Feb 2022) NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had not yet seen any signs of de-escalation on the ground after Russia said Tuesday that some units participating in military exercises were returning to their bases.
The Russian statement added to glimmers of hope that the Kremlin may not be planning to invade Ukraine imminently.
But it gave no details on where the troops were pulling back from, or how many.
That muddied efforts to determine the significance of the announcement, which buoyed world financial markets and the long-suffering ruble after weeks of escalation in Europe's worst East-West standoff in decades.
Speaking in Brussels, Stoltenberg added that there are "some grounds for cautious optimism" for diplomatic efforts, given the signals coming from Moscow in recent days.
Stoltenberg said Russia has in the past moved into areas with troops and equipment, then pulled back leaving military material in place for rapid use later. He said that NATO wants to see a significant and enduring withdrawal of forces, troops, and not least the heavy equipment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meanwhile said Tuesday that Moscow is ready for talks with the U.S. and NATO on limits for missile deployments and military transparency.
European leaders have been scrambling to try to head off a new war on their continent, after several tense weeks that have left Europeans feeling caught between Russia and the U.S., and further pushed up household energy prices because of Europe's dependence on Russian gas.
US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said Washington was seeking to verify Moscow's movements, as a similar claim in December saw its troops move in the "opposite direction".
Russia's announcement came a day after its foreign minister indicated the country was ready to keep talking about the security grievances that led to the Ukraine crisis — a gesture that changed the tenor after weeks of tensions.

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