The US Department of Defense sees the Russian announcement that it will significantly reduce hostilities in northern Ukraine as a tactical maneuver and warns of a new military offensive in other parts of the country. Despite the Russian statement, one should “not fool oneself,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. So far, it has only been observed that “a very small number” of Russian troops are moving away from the capital north of Kyiv.
“We are not prepared to believe the Russian justification that it is a deduction.” It is possible that the soldiers would only be withdrawn there to be deployed in another part of Ukraine, such as the contested eastern Donbass region. “We believe this is a repositioning, not a withdrawal, and that we should all be prepared to anticipate a major offensive against other parts of Ukraine,” Kirby said.
Russian forces have “failed” in their attempt to take Kyiv and are in defensive positions in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks. Russia could continue to fire missiles at Kyiv from afar, Kirby warned. “The threat to Kyiv is not over,” Kirby said. The US is “not convinced” that the threat situation for Kyiv has changed significantly as a result of the Russian announcement. Kirby declined to comment on how many troops Russia is withdrawing from positions near Kyiv. “What I can tell you is that the vast majority of the forces assembled near Kyiv are still there,” he said.
US President Joe Biden also reacted cautiously to the Russian announcement that it would significantly reduce hostilities in northern Ukraine. Biden said in the White House that he did not want to evaluate the statements until he saw “the actions” of the Russian armed forces. “We will see if they implement what they propose.” Until there is an actual change, the pressure on Moscow with “tough sanctions” will continue and the Ukrainian military will continue to be supported, Biden said.