“There are signals from Moscow for further diplomacy. This encourages cautious optimism, but the movement of troops by Russia does not allow an easing of tensions if the heavy equipment remains in place, because they can return quickly”, he specified.
The Need to “Check”
The French and American presidents agreed on Tuesday, during a telephone exchange, on the need to “verify” whether Russia had indeed, as it claims, withdrawn some of its troops. For the Elysée, “the announcement from Moscow is in any case a “first encouraging signal”.
The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken also asked his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday for a “verifiable, credible and significant de-escalation” while stressing that it remains possible to “resolve the crisis peacefully”. According to Russia, Sergei Lavrov also called on his American counterpart for a “pragmatic dialogue”.
An attack still “possible”
Tuesday evening, Joe Biden said in a short statement that a Russian attack on Ukraine remains “completely possible”, but we must “give diplomacy every chance”. A start of withdrawal of Russian soldiers to the Ukrainian border mentioned Tuesday by Moscow “would be positive” but “we have not checked at this stage” its implementation, he added, affirming on the contrary that these troops, now estimated at “more than 150,000”, remained in “a threatening position”. Western sanctions against Russia in the event of an invasion of Ukraine “are ready”, announced the American president.