“We have always said that after the completion of the exercises (…) the troops will return to their original garrisons,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
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The Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday, February 15, the start of a withdrawal of Russian forces stationed near the borders of Ukraine, citing a “usual process” and denouncing “hysteria” West on a supposed imminent invasion of this country by Moscow.
“We have always said that after the completion of the exercises (…) the troops would return to their original garrisons. That’s what happens there, that’s the usual process,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
According to him, Moscow in the future will organize other “exercises all over Russia” because “it is our right to organize maneuvers on our territory, wherever we deem it appropriate”. While Westerners, and the United States in particular, have repeatedly warned of an imminent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Dmitry Peskov denounced a “absolutely unprecedented campaign aimed at provoking tensions”.
Russia on Tuesday ordered the return to their garrisons of units deployed near the Ukrainian border, a first sign of relaxation, their presence raising fears for weeks of an attack against Ukraine.
Moscow, which has always denied any desire for war, says on the contrary that it is threatened by the expansion of NATO’s resources in Eastern Europe and is calling for “security guarantees”in particular the assurance that Ukraine will never join NATO and that the Atlantic Alliance moves its military infrastructure away from Russian borders.
These demands were rejected by the West, who offered in exchange talks on other subjects such as arms control, reciprocal visits to sensitive infrastructure or discussions on Russian security fears.