No sign of any de-escalation from Russia so far, says experts

MOSCOW: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has said that it has not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side with regard to Ukraine.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels, "We haven't seen any de-escalation so far by Russia on the borders with Ukraine," BBC reported.

But, he added, "signs" coming from Moscow about diplomatic efforts give "some reason for cautious optimism".

Stoltenberg says a real de-escalation would mean a substantial withdrawal of Russian troops and military equipment from the border areas with Ukraine, the report said.

"Russia has amassed a fighting force in and around Ukraine, which is unprecedented since the Cold War. Everything is now in place for a new attack," he said.

"But Russia still has time to step back from the brink, stop preparing for war and start working for a peaceful solution," Stoltenberg added.

He added that there are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism. But so far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side," BBC reported.

Stoltenberg spoke to reporters ahead of a two-day meeting of the alliance's defence ministers in Brussels. He said they will address the need to further "increase our defencive posture".

Russia's Defense Ministry has announced that it is returning from the Ukraine border after sharing a video of tanks, weapons and other vehicles being returned via train. However, this announcement has not been taken seriously by experts in various countries, including the United States, who have studied the situation.

Experts who have monitored public domain information, including satellite images and ground video information, are recording every move of the Russian military. In the opinion of one such expert, Konrad Muzyka, Russia's announcement is acceptable, but it means that Russia will deploy troops along the border with Ukraine, as it has done in the past. He opined that only after a few days it can be confirmed that there won't be an attack.

It is estimated that about 150,000 troops have been deployed in Crimea. They are either moving to the border or training in Belarus to provoke Ukraine. Another expert, Rob Lee, said it remains to be seen whether the Russian Army will continue there or a complete withdrawal will soon be announced.

(with IANS inputs)