A Ukrainian serviceman walks near a damaged Russian army tank in the northeastern city of Trostianets
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Ukrainian and Western leaders have expressed scepticism after Russia pledged to “drastically reduce hostilities” in the cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv, warning Moscow had previously reneged on peace agreements.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that while signals were “positive” from the Russian side it “does not drown out the explosions or Russian shells”.
The Kremlin has claimed it will scale back its offensive and focus on the eastern Donbas region just a month after launching its invasion. Vladimir Putin’s forces have failed to capture key cities amid logistical issues, low morale amongst troops and fierce Ukrainian resistance.
Russia’s deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin said the move aimed to “increase mutual trust” following face-to-face talks with Ukrainian officials in Turkey.
Britain’s defence secretary Ben Wallace suggested the Russian army was moving its troops away from Kyiv to “save face” after Ukrainian troops launched counterattacks in the city’s suburbs last week. “They must think we were born yesterday,” he added.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Mr Putin must be judged “by his actions and not his words”.
Ukraine’s general staff confirmed that some Russian units were withdrawing from Kyiv and Chernihiv but said it was most likely a “rotation” and an attempt to “mislead” Ukraine’s military.
US officials cast doubt on the sincerity of Russia’s pledge, with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby saying he was “not prepared to call this a retreat or even a withdrawal”. He stressed a “major offensive” could still take place in other regions of Ukraine.
The decision to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian capital could prove a landmark moment in the conflict as delegates from both sides resumed peace talks on Tuesday in Istanbul.
Western intelligence agencies have claimed that Mr Putin vastly underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian resistance, saying the Kremlin had predicted a “lightning” offensive that could capture Kyiv within days and decapitate Mr Zelensky’s government.
Ukrainian officials on Monday said their army had recaptured the town of Irpin, which lies northwest of Kyiv. If confirmed, it would represent a significant defeat for Mr Putin and cut off a strategic route to the capital.
Russian claims of de-escalation have been met with caution as Mr Putin’s forces have repeatedly violated agreed ceasefires, while the Kremlin has pushed out a stream of disinformation about its military and diplomatic intentions in Ukraine.
Elsewhere, Mr Zelensky has signalled he is prepared to declare Ukraine’s neutrality to secure a ceasefire, as Moscow has previously demanded.
Over the weekend, he suggested that while Ukraine’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt”, there could be a compromise over the “complex issue of Donbas”. However, it remains unclear whether this would mean ceding territory to the Kremlin.
Thousands of civilians have died since Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of the country on February 24, while over 4 million people have been forced to flee the country.
