The US has witnessed some activity of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border but said it was too early to conclude if their withdrawal, as promised by Vladimir Putin, was underway.
“I can report to you that we have seen some indications of activity on the border, but it is too early to conclude that that the activity indicates a withdrawal from the border,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
“Should this be the beginning of a withdrawal, we would welcome such an effort. But there’s a caveat attached to that.
We’ve seen in the past some movement — a battalion comes, a new battalion comes in, and you still have a huge and unprecedented presence of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border,” he said.
Carney said the movement along the Ukrainian border doesn’t suggest that Russian troops withdrawal was underway.
Russian President Putin had on Monday ordered forces on the border with Ukraine to return to their bases.