圖片來源，EPA/俄羅斯國防部
俄羅斯表示已開始將部隊和裝備從烏克蘭邊境撤出
一位美國高級官員表示，俄羅斯聲稱正在將部隊撤離烏克蘭邊境的說法是“虛假的”，他補充說，最近幾天又有7,000名士兵抵達。
這位官員還表示，俄羅斯“隨時”都可能發動“虛假”藉口入侵烏克蘭。
莫斯科表示，在軍事演習完成後，它正在將部隊撤離烏克蘭邊境。
但西方官員表示，他們沒有看到任何證據支持這一說法。
據德國總理府稱，美國總統喬·拜登和德國總理奧拉夫·肖爾茨週三在電話中表示：“俄羅斯必須採取切實措施來緩和局勢。”
俄羅斯一再否認計劃入侵烏克蘭，儘管在邊境附近集結了超過 100,000 名士兵 - 稱西方對入侵的擔憂是“歇斯底里”。
其國防部發布了據稱顯示軍隊和裝備在軍事演習後返回其永久基地的圖像。
但據白宮一名高級官員稱，最近幾天又有數千名士兵抵達該地區——其中包括週三本身。
這位美國官員在接受記者採訪時，對俄羅斯“正在從烏克蘭邊境撤軍”的說法表示懷疑。
“他們的這一說法受到了很多關注，無論是在這裡還是在世界各地。但我們現在知道這是錯誤的。”
俄羅斯外交官說，烏克蘭的恐懼是歇斯底里的
幾小時前，烏克蘭總統澤連斯基告訴英國廣播公司：“我們還沒有看到任何撤軍，我們只是聽說了。”
他是在烏克蘭週三紀念所謂的統一日時發表講話的，全國各地都升起了藍色和黃色的國旗。
澤連斯基總統宣布這一愛國假期是為了回應美國情報部門關於俄羅斯可能在同一天襲擊烏克蘭的報導。
北約秘書長延斯·斯托爾滕貝格也表示，沒有跡象表明俄羅斯軍隊正在降級，週三表示來自俄羅斯的威脅已成為“新常態”。
什麼是北約，為什麼俄羅斯不信任它？
斯托爾滕貝格在布魯塞爾舉行的北約國防部長峰會上說，北約正在考慮在中歐和東南歐建立新的戰鬥群——最小的自給自足的軍事單位。
他說，這是加強歐洲防禦的持續措施的一部分——自 2014 年以來已經花費了 2700 億美元（1990 億英鎊）——儘管他試圖向俄羅斯保證北約不是威脅。
他說，法國曾提議在羅馬尼亞領導一個這樣的戰鬥群。
俄羅斯外交部表示，對斯托爾滕貝格的聲明“不再感興趣”。
危機可能會投下更長的陰影
國防記者喬納森·比爾（Jonathan Beale）的分析箱
這是北約秘書長對未來的悲觀預測。
延斯·斯托爾滕貝格將其描述為冷戰結束以來歐洲最嚴重的安全危機。他明確表示威脅並沒有消失。
即使普京總統沒有下令進攻，但仍有跡象表明這場危機將蒙上更長的陰影。
斯托爾滕貝格表示，俄羅斯的軍事集結表明，莫斯科準備使用武力來對抗歐洲的安全。
這種“新常態”也可能意味著北約加強其軍事姿態。斯托爾滕貝格已責成北約軍事規劃人員考慮在北約東翼——羅馬尼亞和黑海地區建立新的戰鬥群。
然而，尚未做出最終決定，北約堅稱增援只會作為威懾。
北約仍在呼籲俄羅斯進行對話以緩解緊張局勢。但如果外交不起作用，危險在於雙方最終都會讓他們的軍隊在說話。
對俄羅斯聲稱撤軍的懷疑在英國也得到了回應。預計不久將前往烏克蘭的外交大臣利茲·特拉斯（Liz Truss）週四在英國《每日電訊報》（The Telegraph）上寫道，警告西方不應陷入虛假的安全感。
英國首相鮑里斯·約翰遜早些時候在電話中告訴聯合國秘書長，“目前幾乎沒有證據表明俄羅斯退出了”，而他的國防情報局局長吉姆·霍肯赫爾中將則表示，相反，俄羅斯正在繼續加強其勢力。
“這包括看到更多的裝甲車、直升機和一家野戰醫院向烏克蘭邊境移動，”他說。“俄羅斯有足夠的軍事力量來入侵烏克蘭。”
週三，美國國務院警告說，俄羅斯官員正在媒體上散佈故事，旨在在發生入侵事件時影響公眾輿論。
發言人內德·普萊斯對普京聲稱烏克蘭東部正在發生“種族滅絕”表示擔憂，自 2014 年以來，俄羅斯支持的分離主義分子和烏克蘭軍隊一直在該地區發生衝突。
俄羅斯官員表示，他們正在調查據稱在衝突地區埋有數百名平民的萬人坑。
週四早些時候，俄羅斯媒體報導稱，烏克蘭軍隊違反停火協議，向盧甘斯克地區的叛軍發射迫擊砲。沒有對這一說法進行獨立核實，烏克蘭否認砲擊該地區。
實地：烏克蘭人對俄羅斯撤軍的說法持謹慎態度
分析：俄羅斯會入侵烏克蘭嗎？
解說員：烏克蘭：俄羅斯對襲擊的準備程度如何？
俄羅斯和烏克蘭有著深厚的文化和歷史淵源，都是前蘇聯的一部分。
俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京希望得到烏克蘭不會加入北約的保證，因為他認為北約的任何擴張都是一種威脅。北約拒絕了這一要求。
本週早些時候，普京表示俄羅斯不想要戰爭，但要求現在就解決北約成員國問題，儘管烏克蘭距離開始申請加入北約還有很長的路要走。
Ukraine crisis: Russian claim of troop withdrawal false, says US
Russia says it has started moving troops and equipment away from Ukraine's borders
Russia's claim that it is moving troops away from Ukraine's border is "false", according to a senior White House official, who added that 7,000 extra troops have arrived in recent days.
The US official also said that Russia could launch a "false" pretext to invade Ukraine "at any moment".
Moscow says it is moving troops away from the Ukrainian border after the completion of military exercises.
But Western officials say they have seen no evidence to support the claim.
"Russia must take real steps toward de-escalation," US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed in a phone call on Wednesday, according to the German chancellery.
Russia - which has repeatedly denied planning to invade Ukraine, despite having amassed well over 100,000 troops near the border - calls Western concern over an invasion "hysteria".
Its defence ministry has published images purportedly showing troops and equipment returning to their permanent bases after military exercises.
But according to the senior White House official, who asked to remain anonymous, thousands more troops have arrived in the area in recent days - including some on Wednesday itself.
Speaking to journalists, the official cast doubt on Russia's assertions that "it was withdrawing troops from the border with Ukraine".
"They received a lot of attention for that claim, both here and around the world. But we now know it was false."
Media caption,
Ukraine fears are hysteria, says Russian diplomat
It came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the BBC: "We don't see any troop withdrawal yet, we just heard about it."
He was speaking as Ukraine marked a so-called day of unity on Wednesday, with national blue and yellow flags raised throughout the country.
President Zelensky declared the patriotic holiday in response to US intelligence reports that Russia could attack Ukraine on the same day.
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has also said there are no signs that Russian forces are de-escalating, saying on Wednesday that the threat from Russia had become a "new normal".
What is Nato and why doesn't Russia trust it?
How big is the Russian military build-up?
Speaking at a summit of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, Mr Stoltenberg said the alliance was considering setting up new battle groups - the smallest type of self-sufficient military units - in central and south-eastern Europe.
He said this was part of ongoing measures to bolster European defence - on which $270bn (£199bn) had been spent since 2014 - although he attempted to reassure Russia that Nato was not a threat.
France had offered to lead one such battle group in Romania, he said.
Russia's foreign ministry said it was "no longer interested" in Mr Stoltenberg's statements.
line
Crisis could cast a longer shadow
Analysis box by Jonathan Beale, defence correspondent
This was a bleak forecast for the future from Nato's secretary-general.
Jens Stoltenberg described it as the most serious security crisis in Europe since the end of the Cold War. And he made clear that the threat hadn't gone away.
Even if President Putin doesn't give the order to attack, there are still signs this crisis will cast a much longer shadow.
Mr Stoltenberg said Russia's military build-up showed Moscow was prepared to contest European security with the use of force.
That "new normal" could also mean Nato increasing its military posture. Mr Stoltenberg has tasked Nato military planners to look at setting up new battle groups on the alliance's eastern flank - in Romania and the Black Sea region.
However, no final decision has yet been taken and Nato insists reinforcements would only be sent to act as a deterrent.
Nato is still calling on Russia to engage in dialogue to reduce tensions. But if diplomacy doesn't work the danger is both sides will end up with their armies doing the talking.
line
The scepticism over Russia's claimed withdrawal was also echoed in the UK. Writing in the UK newspaper The Telegraph on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss - who is expected to travel to Ukraine shortly - warned the West should not be lulled into a false sense of security.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier told the UN Secretary-General in a phone call there was "currently little evidence of Russia disengaging", while his defence intelligence chief Lt-Gen Jim Hockenhull said that, on the contrary, Russia was continuing to build up its forces.
"This includes sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital moving towards Ukraine's borders," he said. "Russia has the military mass in place to conduct an invasion of Ukraine."
On Wednesday, the US State Department warned that Russian officials were planting stories in the media aimed at influencing public opinion in the event of an invasion.
Spokesman Ned Price expressed concern at Mr Putin's baseless claim that "genocide" was taking place in eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces have been in conflict since 2014.
Previously Germany's chancellor Olaf Scholz criticised the Russian president for using the term without any evidence, while the US has called the claim a "reprehensible falsehood".
Early on Thursday, Russian media reported that Ukrainian forces had violated a ceasefire agreement by firing mortars at rebel forces in the Luhansk district. There has been no independent verification of the claim and Ukraine has denied shelling the area, instead alleging the rebel forces had opened fire on them.
ON THE GROUND: Ukrainians wary of Russian claims of withdrawal
ANALYSIS: Is Russia going to invade Ukraine?
EXPLAINER: Ukraine: How prepared is Russia for an attack?
Russia and Ukraine have deep cultural and historic ties, and both were part of the former Soviet Union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants assurances that Ukraine will not join Nato because he sees any expansion of it as a threat. Nato has rejected that demand.
Earlier this week, Mr Putin said that Russia did not want war, but demanded that the issue of Nato membership be addressed now, even though Ukraine is a long way from even starting an application to join the alliance.
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