Putin eyes talks as some troops near Ukraine leave

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday he welcomed a security dialogue with the West as his military reported pulling back some of its troops near Ukraine. Putin said he doesn't want war and would rely on negotiations as he presses his demand for the West to halt Ukraine's bid to join NATO.

At the same time, he didn't commit to a full pullback of troops, saying Russia's next moves in the standoff will depend on how the situation evolves. The Russian Defense Ministry did not indicate where the withdrawing troops had been deployed or how many were leaving. Washington and its European allies remained cautious, saying they want to see evidence of a Russian pullback.