Sergei Lavrov told Russian state media that he saw a “positive move forward” in the talks in Istanbul, although “it was not yet the end result.” He said Ukraine’s negotiators “reaffirmed the need to ensure non-nuclear [neutral] its status and security outside NATO “and” to understand that the Crimean and Donbass issues have been finally settled “. However, Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, said Kyiv was ready to discuss the final status of Crimea and Donbass – areas of southern and eastern Ukraine where Russia has annexed territories – as soon as Kyiv “restored of on them “. Lavrov’s comments were the latest in a series of statements by Moscow showing that Russian President Vladimir Putin had curtailed his ambitions in Ukraine after an invasion that lasted more than a month, which was thwarted by fierce Ukrainian opposition. The United States and its Western allies have disputed Moscow’s claims that it is substantially refocusing its attack on Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia, calling it a “repositioning” rather than a “real withdrawal.” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that the United States believes Russia is relocating only a “small percentage,” about 20 percent, of the forces it has deployed around Kyiv. He added that while these troops are moving away from Kyiv and some have entered neighboring Belarus, no one is returning to their bases – a signal that Russia may not commit to a permanent withdrawal. “If the Russians are serious about de-escalation. . . “Then they have to send them home,” said Kirby. Reports by Ukrainian officials on Wednesday that Moscow was continuing to bomb neighborhoods on the outskirts of Kiev and the northern city of Chernihiv further undermined Russian claims that it was reducing its activity in the region. “Kyiv is still under great threat,” Kirby said. However, the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday continued to stress that it is withdrawing from population centers in northern and western Ukraine, including Kiev. A spokesman for the ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said Russia was making a “planned turnaround” near Kyiv and Chernihiv after “completing all major tasks” in northern Ukraine. Konashenkov also said the Russian military was entering the “final phase” of its operations in eastern Ukraine, a move aimed at focusing on “operations in priority theaters and. . . complete the operation for the full liberation of Donbass “, the predominantly Russian-speaking border region in eastern Ukraine.

U.S. officials say Putin’s move in recent days comes amid growing evidence that the Russian president feels “misled” by his military commanders about how his attack on Ukraine is unfolding. A US official said the declassified information showed that Putin was unaware that the military was using troops in Ukraine, a sign that there was a “clear collapse” in the flow of accurate information to the Kremlin. Putin initially denied that the troops were fighting in Ukraine – only to admit to his own Defense Ministry that he was there a day later. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov later told reporters that the president had ordered Russian military prosecutors to find and punish officials responsible for sending conscripts, allegedly in violation of his orders. Kirby said Wednesday: “We will agree with the conclusion that Mr Putin has not been fully informed by his Department of Defense at every step in the last month.” He also wondered if Putin’s negotiators could reach a viable position in talks with Ukraine if Putin did not have a full picture of the performance of his troops.

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Are you from Ukraine? Do you have friends and family in or from Ukraine whose lives have been disrupted? Or maybe you’re doing something to help these people, such as raising funds or housing people in your homes. We want to hear from you. Tell us through a short survey. Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that Russian negotiators have changed their tone in recent peace talks, which began in Istanbul on Tuesday. Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said the Kremlin’s initial “ultimatums” had been “quietly set aside” and that talks were now focusing on “a well-defined list of topics.” Podolyak said Kyiv was still looking for specific security guarantees that could be imposed by “designated guarantor countries” with “strong armies”, including the United States and a handful of Western allies. “We really need allies who will stand by us when we need help here and now,” he said.