Some Russian forces are withdrawing from the Ukrainian capital, US officials confirmed on Tuesday, but appeared extremely wary of the sequel. In fact, according to SKAI’s Washington correspondent Katerina Sokou, the US is preparing new package of sanctions in Moscow.
A US official said any move by Russian forces around Kyiv was a “rearrangement, not a retreat” and that Moscow was simply “changing gears”.
The official warned that the international community must remain prepared for “ongoing major attacks in Ukraine “saying that no one should take the movements of Russian troops as an end to the conflict.
Another official said: “We have seen the Russians begin to move away from Kyiv.” But, he clarified, we have little confidence at this stage that it signals some significant change or a substantial decline. “The Russians are still pounding Kyiv with airstrikes. Time will tell.”
The Americans believe that the Russians are “trying to save time” by using the peace talks as a “regular exercise”.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Anthony Blinken said earlier that the US has seen no signs “Really serious” from Russia, adding sharply “that there is a difference between what Russia says and what it does – and the US is focusing on what it does”.
Blinken warned that Russia’s announcement that it would reduce hostilities around Kyiv could be “a means by which Russia is once again trying to deceive people into believing that it is not doing what it is doing.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry has announced that it will “drastically cut its military activity” focusing on Kyiv and Chernihiv, while sources told the Financial Times that Russia is canceling its plans for regime change in Ukraine. However, Russian reports of a continuation of the war continued, despite the apparent progress made in the Istanbul negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
First signs that some Russian troops are indeed retreating from the Kyiv direction. Large numbers of BMDs with Russian and VDV flags were spotted today on their way from the Ukrainian border to Belarus’ Rechitsa and Gomel where they were loaded onto railway platforms. pic.twitter.com/6B5qTsgFRq
– Tadeusz Giczan 🇺🇦 (@TadeuszGiczan) March 29, 2022
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