Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will withdraw forces from the Ukrainian border to improve the electoral atmosphere. Putin emphasized that Russia had the right to keep forces wherever it wanted and added that he had ordered their relocation for the benefit of the upcoming presidential polls of May 25 in Ukraine.
Western sources have been denying that there is a withdrawal of Russian troops from the border.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said earlier that Russia had started withdrawing forces from the border. He noted that it was unclear what distance the West wanted them to keep from the Ukrainian border.
