Status: 02/17/2022 11:19 am
The Defense Ministry in Moscow has reported another partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Crimea. But the EU and NATO remain skeptical: there are no visible signs of de-escalation, according to Brussels.
According to Russia, it has withdrawn more soldiers from the annexed Crimea. “Units of the Southern Military District, which have completed their tactical exercises at the Crimean Training Area, are returning to their home bases by train,” the Defense Ministry said in Moscow.
Television footage showed a train loaded with military vehicles crossing a bridge connecting Russia’s annexed Ukrainian peninsula to the mainland. Moscow announced on Tuesday that it would withdraw some of its troops from the Ukrainian border. On Wednesday, Russia declared the exercises in Crimea over and announced the start of the troop withdrawal.
The EU and NATO remain skeptical
The West reacted cautiously to Moscow’s announcements. The European Union sees no signs of de-escalation in Russia, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Rather, the deployment of troops continues, although Russia claims the opposite. The EU remains vigilant in view of this development.
NATO also remains skeptical: There are “signals from Moscow that diplomacy could be continued, but so far we haven’t seen any signs of withdrawal or de-escalation,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the beginning of the second day of defense ministers’ deliberations of the Allies in Brussels.
Russia has again demonstrated its ability and willingness to use force to achieve its goals. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid this is the new normal that we need to be prepared for,” Stoltenberg continued.
OSCE reports fighting in eastern Ukraine
The US government also accused Russia on Wednesday of further increasing its troops on the border with Ukraine. In view of the massive deployment of troops, the West fears a Russian attack on the neighboring country. Moscow rejects any plans of attack.
According to the OSCE observers on the ground, fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine. There had been an artillery fire, according to diplomatic circles, citing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Ukrainian military reported that shots were fired at a village in the Luhansk region from the area of pro-Russian separatists. Insurgent positions in the Donetsk region were also fired upon. The rebels returned fire. Neither side reported any losses in their own ranks. Independent representations are not yet available.