Russia’s announcement to scale down the assault on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv was largely rebuffed by the United States, saying that it is “not a real withdrawal.” Pentagon swiftly reacted to the unexpected announcement from Moscow on Tuesday.

John Kirby, the spokesperson for the United States Department of Defense, said in a statement, “This is a repositioning, not a real withdrawal, and we all should now be prepared for a major offensive against other areas of Ukraine. It does not mean the threat to Kyiv is over”, according to reports from ABC News.

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Kirby added that Pentagon was only seeing a “small number” of troops moving away from Kyiv and predicted that the move might mean a boosted assault on some other city. “What they probably have in mind is a repositioning to prioritise elsewhere”, Kirby said.

The announcement came hours after Ukrainian and Russian diplomats held a summit in Turkey to address the ongoing conflict. Ukraine diplomats reportedly deviated away from NATO’s support in order to strike a deal with the Russians, who then agreed to turn down the attack on Kyiv.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken also reacted to the Russian announcement made on Tuesday and expressed his skepticism. 

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Blinken said in a statement, “There is what Russia says and there is what Russia does, and we are focused on the latter”, according to reports from Hindustan Times. The top American diplomat added, “And what Russia is doing is the continued brutalisation of Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, United States President Joe Biden returned from his Europe trip — where he visited Poland during the second leg– and met with the country’s leader. Biden also visited refugee camps, where individuals fleeing the Russian attack have sought asylum.