After Russia announced Tuesday that it will pull out some troops from near the Ukrainian border, top NATO officials expressed that they are “cautiously optimistic” for a de-escalation of tensions. “There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism. But so far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday morning following Russia’s announcement. Russia did not say how many units were being withdrawn, and how far, after a build-up of some 130,000 Russian troops to the north, east, and south of Ukraine. Video footage posted online by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday allegedly showed Russian tanks moving back to their permanent bases and away from the border. NATO said that it has yet to see evidence of a de-escalation in the crisis. “Russia has amassed a …
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