Movement of Russian forces alone does not confirm withdrawal, NATO says

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged Moscow again on Wednesday to prove that it is pulling back troops amid tensions over a military build-up on Ukraine’s borders, saying soldiers and tanks often move about.

“It remains to be seen whether there is a Russian withdrawal … What we see is that they have increased the number of troops, and more troops are on the way,” Stoltenberg told reporters at the start of a two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

“If they really start to withdraw forces, that’s something we will welcome … They have always moved forces back and forth so just that we see movement of forces, of battle tanks, doesn’t confirm a real withdrawal.”