Russian forces withdrawing from Kyiv

Russian forces withdrawing from Kyiv?

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby claimed on Tuesday (local time) that Russian forces had moved away from Ukraine’s capital Kyiv “in the last day or so,” but that he believes this is a “repositioning,” not a “real withdrawal.” 

“Has there been any movement away from Kyiv by Russian units in the last day?” “Yeah. Yes, we believe so. “It’s a small number,” Kirby said during a briefing.

“However, we feel that this is merely a redeployment. We should all be on the lookout for a massive onslaught against other parts of Ukraine,” he continued.

Kirby spoke several hours after a member of the Russian negotiating team said the Ministry of Defense has resolved “to substantially reduce military activities in the city of Kyiv and Chernikyiv direction at times.”

MORE: Ukrainian celebrity chef Ievgen helps up free meals for refugees.

The Russian defense ministry announced the withdrawal of troops as a “good faith” gesture in the discussions. 

On the other hand, Kirby said the move corresponded with the Russian military’s failure to take control of the two northern cities. “Russia has failed in its attempt to retake Kyiv. 

Its goal of subjugating Ukraine was not achieved. “However, they still can inflict great violence on the country,” he warned.

The Pentagon press secretary’s comments come a day after a senior US defense official told reporters that Russian troops are “making no attempts on the ground to move on the city” and that the Russians are now “prioritizing the Donbas” region. 

The Pentagon’s current assessment matches that of White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, who defined the moves surrounding Kyiv as a “redeployment” rather than a “withdrawal.”

“Everyone can expect attacks across Ukraine to continue,” Bedingfield warned.

“A key message that the president delivered on his trip to Europe last week was that we are in for a long slog, that our allies and partners must remain, that our resolve must remain strong, and that we must continue to execute on the strategy of inflicting high costs on the Russian economy while strengthening Ukraine on the battlefields and at the negotiating table,” Bedingfield added.

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has declared that Russia cannot be trusted. He said Ukrainian troops were the ones who pressed Russia’s hand but warned that “we shouldn’t let down our guard” since the invading army “has a big capacity to continue strikes on our country.”

Ukraine would continue to negotiate, he added. However, officials are skeptical of the country’s word because it is still “trying to destroy us.”

When asked if the Russian announcement was a sign of progress in the discussions or a ploy by Moscow to buy time to continue its offensive, US President Joe Biden answered, “We’ll see.” I don’t make any inferences until I see what they’re doing.”