Russia's assertion of withdrawing troops from the Ukraine border is 'fake': US

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia shows no signs of abating. Despite Kremlin assertions that forces were being pulled back from the region, the US has now warned that Russia has added up to 7,000 troops near Ukraine's borders.

Despite the fact that a feared Russian invasion of Ukraine did not occur, the US and its partners emphasised that the threat remains significant, putting Europe's security and economic stability at jeopardy.

"So yesterday, the Russian government said 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," Reuters reported the official's comments. The official gave no further explanation or evidence for how it knew this.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Ukrainians resisted Russian pressure with a national demonstration of flag-waving togetherness.

According to Western estimates, Russia has amassed more than 150,000 troops east, north, and south of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that he prefers a peaceful resolution to the problem, and US President Joe Biden pledged that diplomacy would be given "every chance," although he expressed reservations about Moscow's intentions. Biden also stated that the US and its allies will not "compromise essential principles" when it comes to Ukraine's sovereignty.

A trainload of armoured vehicles was seen travelling crossing a bridge in the direction of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia took from Ukraine in 2014. It further stated that more tank units were being placed onto trains in order to return to their permanent bases following training activities. However, Russia continues to conduct war simulations along Ukraine's borders and across its enormous territory at the same time.

According to a senior US administration official, the West detected that Russia had increased its force near Ukraine by 7,000 troops, with some arriving as recently as Wednesday, and that there had been a significant increase in Russians making false claims that the Kremlin could use as a pretext for an invasion.

Reports of unmarked graves of civilians purportedly killed by Ukrainian forces, accusations that the US and Ukraine are developing biological or chemical weapons, and claims that the West is sending in guerrillas to kill Ukrainians are among the claims, according to the official.

The official talked to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive operations. The official provided no supporting evidence for his claims.

The United States and Europe continue to threaten punitive penalties. Between the East and the West, trust is still elusive. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said ABC News, "We haven't seen a slowdown." "He (Putin) has the ability to fire the shot. He'll be able to pull it off today. He'll be able to pull it off tomorrow. He'll be able to pull it off next week. If he wants to restart his war against Ukraine, the military are ready."

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the US estimates that 150,000 Russian forces have encircled Ukraine, up from prior estimates of around 100,000.