Russian President Vladimir Putin said negotiations are still possible in the standoff over Ukraine and his Defense Ministry said it was pulling back some troops from near the border, but Western leaders were uncertain what to make of the Kremlin’s mixed messaging because other Russian military activities continue unabated.
The announced troop pullback would scale down a total force that is still estimated to number more than 120,000, and came amid a new round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at defusing the crisis. Moscow has warned of unspecified consequences if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands.