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President Vladimir Putin said today he had ordered Russian troops to pull out from the regions near Ukraine to help create a positive environment for the nation's presidential vote, but added that it would be hard for the Kremlin to deal with its winner because of continuing fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The pullout announced Monday was meant to create "favorable conditions for Ukraine's presidential vote and end speculations," Putin told reporters in Shanghai, China, where he attended a security summit.
Referring to comments by the US and NATO that they aren't seeing any sign of the withdrawal, Putin said that "those who aren't seeing it should look better." He said the pullout will be clearly visible in satellite images, according to Russian news agencies.
Putin's pullout order and his statement welcoming the election, which he had previously urged to postpone, has shown that he has no immediate intention to send the Russian army into Ukraine, where pro-Russian insurgents have seized government buildings and clashed with Ukrainian government forces in weeks of fighting that has left dozens dead.
Putin's moves reflected an apparent desire to ease tensions with the West over Ukraine and avoid further sanctions.
NATO, which estimates that Russia has 40,000 troops along the border with Ukraine, repeated today it could not yet see any signs of a Russian pullout.
Gen Vladimir Shamanov, the chief of the Russian Airborne Forces, said in televised remarks that battalions from three airborne divisions would return to their home bases within 10 days.
The Ukrainian government and the West have seen the Russian military buildup in the areas near the border as a possible precursor for grabbing more land following Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.
Meanwhile, clashes between the rebels and Ukrainian government forces continued today in eastern Ukraine.
