MOSCOW (AP) – Russia says that some units participating in military exercises will begin returning to their bases. That adds to glimmers of hope that the Kremlin may not be planning to invade Ukraine imminently. But officials gave no details on the pullback.
The announcement Tuesday came after Russia’s foreign minister indicated the country was ready to keep talking about the security grievances that led to the Ukraine crisis. That changed the tenor after weeks of rising tensions.
Still, Western officials continued to warn that an invasion could come at any moment and said some forces and military hardware were moving toward the border. It wasn’t immediately clear where exactly the troops that the Russian Defense Ministry said were pulling back were deployed or how many were leaving.
Meantime, the U.S. Senate is considering a resolution in support of Ukraine’s independence while stopping short of legislation to impose sanctions on Russia. Senators are eager to respond to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression but deferential to the White House’s strategy to avert a crisis in Europe.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan briefed Senate leadership Monday afternoon. President Joe Biden and Western leaders are working to persuade Putin not to invade Ukraine. Senators say the Biden administration is able to impose devastating sanctions on Russia with or without congressional action.
