US secretary of state Antony Blinken challenges Russia's claim of a troop withdrawal from Crimea while Nato chief says more troops are en route to Ukraine border
Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a press briefing on January 18 2022 as tensions over a possible invasion by Russian forces of Ukraine continue. Picture: ANDREAS GORA-POOL/GETTY IMAGES
The Russian defence ministry said its forces — part of a huge build-up that has been accompanied by demands to the West for sweeping security guarantees — were pulling back after exercises in southern and western military districts near Ukraine. A senior Western intelligence official said the risk of Russian aggression against Ukraine would remain high for the rest of February and Russia could still attack Ukraine “with essentially no, or little-to-no, warning”.
Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview his country’s latest intelligence report similarly showed no sign of a Russian pullback. He said the combined strength of Russian military and pro-Russian separatist forces near Ukraine’s borders stood at about 140,000. But Russia also said it would be ready to reroute energy exports to other markets if it were hit by sanctions, which Washington and its allies have threatened if it invades Ukraine.
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