Russian army withdrawal from Ukraine border unconfirmed, NATO says

The withdrawal of Russian armies from the Ukrainian border can’t be confirmed, NATO General Secretary Anders Fog Rasmussen told an April 1 meeting in Brussels of NATO foreign affairs minsters. His statement was in response to a March 31 claim by the Russian Defense Ministry that it reduced the presence of Russian soldiers and equipment on the Ukrainian border. He called upon the Russian government to withdraw its armies, fulfill international agreements and begin a constructive dialogue with Ukraine.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told an April 1 press conference that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to withdraw troops hasn’t resulted in a satisfactory reduction of armed forces on Ukraine’s border. “It’s obviously not the last step that’s necessary because the concentration of armies on the border with Ukraine is very high,” she said, as reported by Reuters.

Zenon Zawada: The Russian government is disappointed that no conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine that could have been used as a pretext to dispatch its military. We expect the Russians will keep its military on alert, not far from the Ukrainian border, for the next several months in hopes that a conflict will be sparked, possibly with the help of Russian intelligence agents and saboteurs. We are confident the Russians want to undermine the May 25 presidential elections, which will ensure a staunchly pro-EU government for the next five years.