Russian invasion of Ukraine 'remains distinctly possible', Biden says
A Russian invasion of Ukraine "remains distinctly possible", Joe Biden said in a televised address, after the Kremlin announced that Russia's troops would begin withdrawing from the border.
The US president said he did not yet have confirmation that Russian troops were returning to their bases and that the troops "remain very much in a threatening position."
"The fact remains right now Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine and Belarus and along Ukraine’s border," Biden said.
Russia's defence ministry had announced earlier in the day that some military units completed their training activities and would move away from the border.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that they are planning an invasion despite amassing troops near Ukraine's border.
Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted on Tuesday that he did not want a war with Ukraine, after weeks of tension fuelled by the buildup of troops.
"Do we want (a war) or not? Of course not. That's why we put forward our proposals for a negotiation process," he said during a joint news conference with the German Chancellor.
Western officials welcomed the move to withdraw troops from the border but expressed scepticism that it was happening
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that there were not yet any signs of a reduced Russian military presence on the Ukrainian border or "any signs of de-escalation on the ground".
"Russia has amassed a fighting force in and around Ukraine, unprecedented since the Cold War," he said. "Everything is now in place for a new attack."
In his televised address to Americans, Biden said that if Russia invades Ukraine, the human costs would be immense. He also emphasised that the US did not seek to destabilise Russia.
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