A senior White House official said that Russia’s claim that it is withdrawing troops along its border with Ukraine is false. Instead, Russia is said to have gathered “up to 7,000 extra troops” on the border with Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the Russian authorities said that they were withdrawing troops from the border. They released footage showing tanks and other military vehicles taking off. This has already led to critical reactions internationally.
“All the intelligence we have shows they are making false claims about de-escalation while secretly mobilizing for war,” the official told CNN.
NATO and Germany also said they had no idea of the withdrawal on Wednesday. However, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said, “it appears that Russia is continuing its military build-up”.