As the tensions started escalating between the nations over Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia on Tuesday said that some of its military units were returning to their bases after exercises near Ukraine and mocked repeated Western warnings about a looming invasion, but NATO said it had yet to see any sign of de-escalation on the ground.Russia did not say how many units were being withdrawn, and how far, after exporting approximately 130,000 Russian troops to the north, east and south of Ukraine that has triggered one of the worst crises in relations with the West since the Cold War.“We've always said the troops will return to their bases after the exercises are over. This is the case this time as well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.NATO's chief welcomed signals from Russia in the past two days that it may be looking for a diplomatic solution but urged Moscow to explicitly deliver its will to act.“There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism. But so far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.According to him, Russia often left military equipment behind after exercises, creating the potential for forces to regroup.How Ukraine Reacts to this News?Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv would only believe that Russia was moving to de-escalate the situation if it saw for itself that Russian troops were being pulled back.“If we see a withdrawal, we will believe in a de-escalation,” Interfax Ukraine quoted him as saying.Russia has always denied planning to invade, saying it can exercise troops on its own territory as it sees fit. It has been pressing for a set of security guarantees from the West, saying it fears NATO is encroaching on its Western flank.Other Countries Gearing Up to Stop Russia to Invade Ukraine U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was speaking to his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, by phone on Tuesday, a senior State Department official said.“When they last spoke, they agreed to stay in touch,” the official said of Blinken and Lavrov, amid diplomatic efforts by the West to deter a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.Australia’s Take: Australian prime minister on Tuesday urged China to denounce Russian threats against Ukraine, as the crisis between the US-led allies and Moscow raises the specter of a broader conflict.Scott Morrison noted that Beijing and Moscow had announced they were pursuing closer relations since more than 100,000 Russian troops were sent to the Ukrainian border.“We would expect all nations, all governments around the world, to be denouncing what is taking place with the threats of violence against Ukraine,” Morrison told Parliament.(With Inputs From Agencies)
