I/III. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/19/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/
Russian troops still at Ukrainian border despite withdrawal pledge, NATO says By *Matthew Chance, Faith Karimi *and *Lena Kashkarova,* CNN May 19, 2014 -- Updated 1902 GMT (0302 HKT) *(CNN)* -- NATO urged Russia to keep its word this time and withdraw troops along Ukraine's eastern border, saying it has seen no signs of soldiers returning to their bases. President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops near the Ukraine border to return to their bases, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. The withdrawal has started, he said, and could take some time to finish. But despite Moscow's assertion, there were no signs of the troops' withdrawal, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said hours later. The Obama administration was skeptical about Putin's order, while Kiev said it's monitoring the area to ensure troops are returning to their permanent bases. "As you know, we have heard that promise before and have yet to see any indication that it's been fulfilled," said Jay Carney, the White House spokesman. Rasmussen reiterated the need for the withdrawal and said he would "be the first" to welcome it. "I think it's the third Putin statement on withdrawal of Russian troops ... but so far we haven't seen any withdrawal at all," he said. "Withdrawal of Russian troops will be the first step to de-escalating the situation." Ukraine's presidential election scheduled for Sunday is crucial, Rasmussen said, and Russia and Ukrainian separatists should practice restraint to ensure it goes on as planned. "We urge the armed pro-Russian separatist groups to stop their illegal activities. ... Russia should stop their support for these armed groups," he said. "Russia should demonstrate a clear will to let the presidential election to go forward. The presidential election constitutes the best chance to find a sustainable solution to the crisis in Ukraine." *Russia's 'significant forces'* Putin's decision to amass 40,000 troops along Ukraine's eastern border triggered fears of an invasion ahead of the election. Moscow defended the troop buildup, saying it was a routine exercise that has since ended. Two weeks ago, Putin said Russian troops had pulled away from Ukraine's border and were merely conducting "regular exercises at the test grounds." At that time, NATO and Western officials said they saw no sign of widespread troop withdrawals. But a senior U.S. administration official disputed Russia's assertion that they were routine exercises "The fact is that Russia has been maintaining significant forces in forward deployment areas along Ukraine's border," the official said. "They have not been conducting routine training activities. They've been up on the border in a menacing posture, and we've been concerned about this military buildup and have been consistently calling on Russia to remove its troops back to their home bases and end this threatening behavior." The official said the White House is monitoring the issue for evidence of withdrawal. "As you'll recall, they've made similar claims before. They made them at the end of March and didn't follow through, so we'll be tracking this closely over the course of today and the coming days, and we'll want to see clear, firm evidence of this move before we make any judgment," the official said Monday. The United States, which along with other Western countries has sanctioned Russia for its disputed takeover of Crimea, has threatened additional punishment for Russia if it fails to pull its troops back from the border. *Tensions in the east* Russian officials have said they reserve the right to protect the interests of Russian citizens and Russian-language speakers in Ukraine's east, which traditionally leans toward Moscow. Tensions in that region remain high, with ongoing reports of violence and growing human rights abuses. Anti-terrorism operations that started in April in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have killed 24 Ukrainian servicemen so far, said Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, head of the Ukrainian Security Service. He did not provide any more details. In one of the latest incidents, Russian separatists clashed with Ukrainian border guards Saturday after a separatist leader was detained at a checkpoint. Valeriy Bolotov, the self-declared governor of a "people's republic" in Luhansk, was detained by security forces in Dovzhanskiy. Attackers freed him after a firefight, but he was wounded and went to Russia for medical treatment, separatist spokesman Vasiliy Nikitin said. Over the weekend, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukrainian troops of attacking Ukrainian citizens and questioned whether Sunday's scheduled elections could be held amid the chaos. "Such punitive action against its own citizens shows the hypocrisy of the Kiev authorities," a ministry statement said, referring to an international pact agreed to last month that called for an end to violence. II/III. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27467807 19 May 2014 Last updated at 13:30 Ukraine crisis: Putin orders troops back from border President Putin has made similar statements in the past but Nato says it has not seen troops withdrawing Russia's President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops near Ukraine's border to withdraw, the Kremlin says. Units in the Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions should return to their permanent bases, a statement said. <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/7195> Russia has made similar statements in the past. Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said there was no evidence of any withdrawal so far. Correspondents say removing the troops - estimated to number 40,000 - could help de-escalate the Ukraine crisis. 'Exercises' The apparent build-up of Russian forces in the region has ratcheted up diplomatic tensions in recent weeks. Russian defence officials have insisted the troops were involved in regular training. "In connection with the completion of the planned spring phase of military training... at ranges in Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions, Putin ordered the defence minister to withdraw the troops that took part in the exercises," the Kremlin statement said. It was unclear how many troops would be pulled out or when it would happen. Russia's military takeover in Crimea has added to the tensions in the region Heavy mortar fire outside Sloviansk apparently damaged a large gas pipeline and set off a fire on Monday "So far we haven't seen any withdrawal at all," Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said in response to the Kremlin statement. "I strongly regret that because a withdrawal of Russian troops would be a first important contribution to de-escalating the crisis." The Pentagon also said it had seen "no indication" of Russian troop movement away from the border, according to Reuters. Anders Fogh Rasmussen: "So far we haven't seen any withdrawal at all. I strongly regret that" 'Punitive operation' Meanwhile clashes have continued between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russia separatist militants in eastern Ukraine. One Ukrainian soldier was killed and one injured on Monday in an attack by separatists on a checkpoint near Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine's Interfax news agency quoted the country's defence ministry as saying. Russia called for an "immediate end to the punitive operation and violent actions" of Ukrainian government forces, demanding "the withdrawal of troops". The statement said Mr Putin "welcomes the first contacts between Kiev and the supporters of federalisation". Russia has also condemned the detention of two journalists working for Russian TV channel Life News, which is known for its close relationship with the country's security forces. The pair were reportedly arrested by Ukrainian troops near the town of Kramatorsk on Sunday. Russia has called on the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to assist with their release. [image: line break] [image: Jonathan Marcus] Analysis: Jonathan Marcus, BBC Diplomatic correspondent *Some people may be wondering if there is a command and control problem in the Russian military. For this is actually the third time that Russian units have been ordered to pull back to their bases from their positions on Ukraine's border.* *There was supposedly a partial withdrawal at the end of March. Only one battalion moved. A full withdrawal was ordered in early May but according to senior Nato military sources the troops are still very much there. Now a withdrawal order has come from the Kremlin again.* *Of course there is nothing wrong with Russia's command system. President Vladimir Putin clearly decided that, whatever the public pronouncements, the threat of 40,000 troops on Ukraine's border was a powerful tool whether they were used or not.* *This was by the way not the "planned spring phase of military training" as the Kremlin asserts but an unprecedented deployment of combat-ready forces designed specifically to threaten the Kiev government.* [image: line break] It comes as preparations continue for presidential elections in Ukraine on 25 May. 'Substantial rethink' Tensions between Russia and the West rose after the overthrow of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February, following months of street protests. On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow's ties with the EU and Nato needed a "substantial rethink" in light of deep differences over Ukraine, Russian news agencies report. The revolt in the east gained momentum after Russia annexed Ukraine's mainly ethnic Russian region of Crimea in March. Pro-Russia separatists have taken control of government buildings across cities in south-eastern and southern Ukraine. Violence between the two sides has left dozens of people dead in recent weeks, but the rebels have not taken part in EU-brokered talks to defuse the crisis. On Saturday, the separatists appointed a prime minister for what they call the People's Republic of Donetsk. III. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russian-stocks-cement-gains-as-putin-orders-troops-back-to-bases/500455.html Russian Stocks Cement Gains as Putin Orders Troops Back to Bases - Reuters - May. 19 2014 19:18 - Last edited 19:18 Maxim Stulov / VedomostiThe MICEX index has reached its highest point since the Federation Council in March voted to give Putin permission to use military intervention in Ukraine. Russian assets added to their gains on Monday after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to return to their bases after holding drills near the Ukraine border. At the close of trading, the ruble-denominated MICEX index was up 1.8 percent to 1,417 points on the news, after trading around 0.7 percent higher earlier in the session. The dollar-denominated RTS performed even more strongly, doubling its early gains to finish the day up 2.4 percent at 1,292 points. Putin's office said he had issued the order because the spring maneuvers were over. The move could also be intended to ease tension in Russia's standoff with the West over Ukraine before Kiev holds a presidential election on Sunday. A NATO officer in Brussels said there had been no sign of the troops returning to their bases, however. The MICEX index is trading above 1,400 points for the first time since March 3, when stocks plummeted after parliament rubber-stamped Putin's right to intervene militarily in Ukraine. The ruble firmed 0.6 percent against the dollar and the euro, trading at 34.54 and 47.38, respectively, at 6 p.m. in Moscow -- its strongest since early February. That left the ruble 0.6 percent stronger at 40.3 against the dollar-euro basket that the Central Bank uses to guide the ruble's nominal exchange rate. Investors in Russian assets are also awaiting Putin's visit to China on Tuesday and Wednesday. They are keen to see whether the two sides sign a long-term contract for Russia to supply gas. "The confrontation between Russia and the West because of the Ukrainian crisis has significantly increased the risks of investing in Russian securities and the signing of the contract with China would give a push for Gazprom shares and may also serve as an impetus for the growth in other stocks," Anastasia Sosnova, an analyst at Rossiyski Capital, wrote in a note. Also in the spotlight this week will be Russia's annual economic forum in the northern city of St. Petersburg, a traditional showcase for investment opportunities in Russia. But many Western chief executives have declined to attend, giving in to pressure from the U.S. to distance themselves from Russia over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its continued involvement in Ukraine's affairs. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
