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White House says no confirmations of Russian troops’ pullback from border

WASHINGTON, May 07. /ITAR-TASS/. U.S. Administration has “no evidence” of a pullback of Russian troops from the Russian-Ukrainian border, White House spokesman Josh Earnest claimed Wednesday.

He said Washington would welcome what he referred to as a “meaningful and transparent” withdrawal.

Earnest made his comments soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters had withdrawn troops from the border area.

He said the troops were “in places where they conduct their regular exercises - at the training grounds”, which can easily be verified by modern reconnaissance methods, including from space.

Earnest also repeated Washington’s demands that the referendum on the status of Southeastern regions of Ukraine, which the supporters of federalization of the much-troubled country plan holding May 11, should be called off altogether and not put off to a later date - something that Putin asked the leaders the antifascist protest movement in Donetsk, Lugansk and other places to do.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Eastern Ukraine

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