Russia signals openness to diplomacy

On Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said some of the country’s troops engaging in military exercises near Ukraine’s border would return to their bases. During a made-for-TV meeting on Monday,  Lavrov told Russian President Vladimir Putin that talks with the West over Ukraine and other key issues can’t continue indefinitely, yet “are far from being exhausted.” The troop announcement and appearance orchestrated for the media were likely intended to suggest Putin hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.

How are other nations responding? U.S. officials, concerned about the Russian threat, announced Monday they would close the American Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and relocate the remaining staff to the western city of Lviv. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he ordered the move due to a dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces on the country’s border. On a diplomatic trip to Kyiv and Moscow, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there are “no sensible reasons” for the more than 130,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders and called for more dialogue.

Dig deeper: Read Rachel Lynn Aldrich’s report in The Sift on the U.S. call for citizens to leave Ukraine.