Russia Promises To Reduce Military Operations In Ukraine, President Biden: We Continue To Watch What Happens

President Biden holds a child as he visits a refugee camp for Ukrainians in Poland. (Twitter/POTUS)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden said Tuesday that it remains to be seen if Russia's promise to reduce its military operations in Ukraine remains, saying Washington and its allies are still continuing sanctions on Russia and aid to Ukraine.

Good news comes from Russia's peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Russia promised to reduce its military operations in Ukraine, while Ukraine proposed a neutral status.

"We will see if they follow through with what they suggest" as the Moscow-Kyiv negotiations continue, he told reporters at the White House after his meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"We will continue to watch what happens," President Putin continued.

Separately, Russia has begun removing very small numbers of troops from positions around Kyiv, a move that is more of a repositioning than retreating or withdrawing from war, the Pentagon said.

"That does not mean that the threat against Kyiv is over," spokesman John Kirby told a news conference.

It is known that as many as 10 US F-18s and more than 200 troops deployed to NATO members and neighboring Russia, Lithuania, and US forces in Poland were "in touch" with Ukrainian forces as they handed over weapons to them, he added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Russian and Ukrainian delegations during peace talks in Istanbul. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkiye)

As previously reported, positive news came from Istanbul, Turkey where peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were held Tuesday, with Russia pledging to reduce its military operations and Ukraine proposing a neutral status.

"In order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations, achieving the ultimate goal of agreeing and signing (a) agreement, the decision was made to radically, by a large margin, reduce military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv," the deputy said. Russian Defense Minister Alexander Fomin in Istanbul.

Meanwhile, the Ukraine proposal at the talks is the most detailed that has been publicly aired by both sides.

Ukrainian negotiators said that under their proposal, Ukraine would agree not to join the alliance or host foreign troop bases, but would have guaranteed security in terms similar to 'Article 5', NATO's collective defense clause.

In this regard, Ukraine identified Israel and NATO members Canada, Poland, and Turkey as countries that could help provide such assurances. Russia, USA, UK, Germany, and Italy can also provide guarantees.

The proposal would include a 15-year consultation period on Russia's annexed Crimea status, and could only take effect in the event of a complete ceasefire, negotiators said.

As for the fate of the southeastern Donbas region, which Russia demands that Ukraine be handed over to the separatists, it will be set aside for discussion by the Ukrainian and Russian leaders, they added. Any peace deal would require a referendum in Ukraine.

"If we succeed in consolidating these key provisions, then Ukraine will be in a position to actually improve its current status as a non-aligned and non-nuclear state in the form of permanent neutrality," said Ukrainian delegate Oleksander Chaly.

"We will not host foreign military bases on our territory, as well as deploy military contingents on our territory, and we will not enter into military-political alliances," he said. Military exercises will be carried out with the approval of the guarantor countries.