On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin announced that Moscow will “drastically” decrease its military activity in Kyiv and Chernihiv following the latest round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey. However, Fomin’s announcement comes against the backdrop of Ukrainian forces regaining ground against the Russian forces.
Fomin told reporters that as diplomatic talks between the two countries move towards a resolution, Russia has decided to “cardinally, several-fold decrease the military activity” in Kyiv and Chernihiv. He explained that the decision is an effort to “bolster mutual confidence and create the necessary conditions for the further talks” between Russia and Ukraine.
Only a small number of Russian forces have pulled back from positions near Kyiv and Moscow may be only “repositioning” its troops before launching renewed attacks in Ukraine, the Pentagon warned on Tuesday. https://t.co/ao2OiZrlBk pic.twitter.com/YVQX3g5Oif
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 30, 2022
The Russian official noted that Kyiv’s recent assurances regarding its neutrality and non-nuclearisation commitments indicate that talks are “moving to the practical sphere.” However, he warned that Russia is going forward with the underlying assumption that Ukraine will make corresponding changes in its policy to create normal working conditions.
Russia’s deputy defense minister says Moscow has decided to “fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernigiv” in order to “increase mutual trust for future negotiations to agree and sign a peace deal with Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/2qDYOzAzDp
— max seddon (@maxseddon) March 29, 2022
Moreover, Fomin strictly advised Ukrainian officials and troops to abide by the Geneva Conventions, warning that Russia will not tolerate the practice of torture against prisoners of war and thus urged Ukraine to undertake “exhaustive measures” to avoid such practices.
However, Russia’s withdrawal announcement did not mention any changes in the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv in the east or Kherson, Mariupol, and Mykolaiv in the south. Ukraine’s Defence Ministry reported that Russia continues to carry out missiles attacks in these regions, including some occupied parts of Kyiv. It has also accused Russian forces of targeting residential buildings, looting, and terrorising the local population.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy said he does not yet trust Russia’s announcement to reduce troops near Kyiv.
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 30, 2022
Read more: https://t.co/yzo1pwfXki pic.twitter.com/qswPwWCTSQ
Therefore, it appears that Russia’s major shift in strategy in Kyiv and Chernihiv could be prompted by Ukraine’s stiff resistance. According to a British intelligence source, some Russian military units suffered heavy losses in Kyiv, forcing them to regroup in Belarus or return home. Moreover, Ukrainian forces on Tuesday claimed to have killed another important Russian colonel, Denis Kurilo, making him the seventh Russian general to be killed during the war.
Russia’s announcement regarding its withdrawal from Kyiv was met with scepticism by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his United States (US) counterpart, Joe Biden. In a video, Zelensky remarked that despite the constructive talks with Moscow, Ukrainian negotiators are wary of the promises made by their Russian counterparts. The Ukrainian leader warned, “We shouldn’t let down our guard,” noting that Russia continues to shell parts of Ukraine. “I don’t read anything into it until I see what their actions are,” Biden added.
'We'll see if they follow through with what they're suggesting,' President Joe Biden said, as Moscow-Kyiv negotiations continue. ‘We're going to continue to keep a close eye on what's going on’ https://t.co/W4X8JeCKkQ pic.twitter.com/tHpiRajWYB
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 30, 2022
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed Russia’s stance on the non-use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine if a third party got involved, saying, “No one is thinking about the idea of using nuclear weapons.”