The Russian army began withdrawing its troops, which were conducting military exercises near the Ukrainian border, on Friday, following weeks of tension between Moscow and Western countries. This move was confirmed by Kyiv as a step towards reducing tensions. The ministry stated: "Military units and formations are currently moving to railway stations for loading and towards airports, boarding landing ships, railway platforms, and military transport planes," according to Agence France-Presse.
Meanwhile, the TASS news agency reported that the Russian Defense Ministry started to return its forces from the Crimean Peninsula to their permanent bases after participating in military exercises. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba commented on the Russian step, saying, "If Russia begins to withdraw its troops from the border, the tensions will decrease," as reported by Reuters.
Earlier, the Defense Ministry announced the start of large-scale military maneuvers in Crimea and the Black Sea, indicating that they include more than 10,000 soldiers and over 40 warships, according to Interfax. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu urged his country's forces on the border to be prepared for a swift response in case of "unfavorable" developments in areas near NATO in Europe. On Thursday, Russia stated that it had ordered its troops to return to their bases from the area near the border with Ukraine, which seemed to signal an end to the mobilization of tens of thousands of soldiers that had raised concerns among Western countries, according to Reuters.
"Swift and Harsh Response"
Putin warned the West on Wednesday against crossing Russia's "red lines," stating that "Moscow will respond swiftly and harshly to any foreign provocations that would make those who perpetrate them regret their actions." These remarks came amid sharply strained relations with the United States and Europe due to the Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border and the health of imprisoned opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
In his annual State of the Union address to parliament, Putin said: "We want good relations... and do not want to actually burn bridges." He added, "But if someone misinterprets our good intentions as indifference or weakness and intends to burn or blow up those bridges, they should know that Russia's response will be swift and harsh."
