Ukrainian Defense Minister Olexiy Reznikov said on Wednesday that the situation on Ukrainian borders remains stable.
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"This morning, as every day, I received another summary with figures and facts, and they are fully consistent with our forecasts, and do not contain anything unexpected," Reznikov said.
Some Western media and politicians have claimed that Russia could "invade" Ukraine on Feb. 16. And yet Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusation, stressing its right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.
In January, some countries including the United States and Britain sent batches of weapons to Ukraine, while Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also pledged military support for Kiev.
At a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia does not want to go to war with Ukraine, but rather resolve the issue of NATO expansion "through peaceful means." Earlier this week, the Russian Defense Ministry said that part of the Russian armed forces participating in the exercises will be pulled back.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian side cannot confirm the withdrawal of Russian troops from the common border. "We are reacting to the realities that we have, and we have not seen any pullback yet," Zelensky said.
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that signs coming from Moscow on the diplomatic efforts give "some reasons for cautious optimism," while the alliance still sees no signs of de-escalation on Russia's border with Ukraine. Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said that the Ukrainian internal forces are ready for any scenarios of the development of the security situation in the country.