Russia urges Kiev to withdraw troops from E Ukraine
Iran Press TV
Mon May 19, 2014 12:4PM GMT
Russia has urged the interim government in Kiev to immediately withdraw its troops from eastern Ukraine while ordering the end of drills by Russian forces in regions bordering Ukraine.
According to a Kremlin statement, released on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for an end to what he described as the Kiev authorities' 'punitive operation' against pro-Russian activists in the eastern part of Ukraine.
Putin has also ordered Russian troops deployed in regions near Ukraine to go back to their bases, the statement added.
"Due to the end of the planned spring training of troops that included their movement to Rostov, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions, the Russian president ordered…troops participating in the drills to return to their permanent bases," the statement read.
Some analysts believe the move appears to indicate the Russian president's intention to de-escalate the ongoing crisis over Ukraine.
Earlier on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine, accusing the Kiev army of conducting military operations against its own citizens.
The acting Kiev government has been staging military operations in the eastern and southern provinces since mid-April in a bid to root out pro-Moscow demonstrations.
According to figures from the United Nations, almost 130 people have so far been killed during clashes and operations by Ukrainian troops in the region.
SSM/AB/SS
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