Ukrainian border guards say there has been a decrease in Russian military activity near their border, but NATO and the USA say they have seen no signs that Russian forces have pulled back.<br /><br />On Monday the Kremlin announced President Vladimir Putin had ordered Russian forces near Ukraine back to their bases.<br /><br />The White House said it was the third time Moscow had said it had pulled back, and like the last times there was no evidence of a significant withdrawal.<br /><br />“At this point we see no indication of any movement which has been the case as you know several times before,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney.<br /><br />NATO also denied it had any proof the Russians were seeking to make good their promise of helping to calm a dangerously tense situation.<br /><br />“I strongly regret that, because a withdrawal of Russian troops would be a first important contribution to de-escalating the crisis,” said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.<br /><br />However Moscow did welcome what it called “initial contacts” between the interim government in Kyiv and “supporters of federalisation” in eastern Ukraine, in a first round-the-table debate. Germany’s Angela Merkel also welcomed the start of dialogue.
