Russia has said it will drastically cut military activity near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and around Chernihiv - a pledge dismissed by Western officials as likely an attempt to "play for time".
Alexander Fomin, the Kremlin's deputy defence minister, said Moscow has decided to "fundamentally cut back" operations to "increase mutual trust" at talks aimed at ending the fighting.
But speaking to Reuters news agency, a Western official said the announcement "seems to be more of a tactical exercise" to buy time for troops to regroup.
That assessment was echoed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said he was "not seeing signs of real seriousness" from Russia when it came to ending the war.
"Whether it's (Russia) simply trying to regroup, given the heavy losses that it suffered, I don't know," he said.
It came as Ukrainian and Russian delegations met in Istanbul in Turkey for fresh peace discussions.
Putin's forces 'pushed away' from capital - live updates
In other developments:
• Ukrainian troops 'regaining territory' and pushing back Russian forces
• Zelenskyy says Ukraine willing to consider neutrality and offer security guarantees
• US casts doubt on Abramovich 'chemical' poisoning claims
• More Russian mercenaries heading to Ukraine
Russia outlines two steps to de-escalate war
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian negotiating team, explained that cutting back troops from major cities was one of two steps Moscow was taking to de-escalate the 34-day-old conflict.
He said Russia would also agree to a meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, if and when a peace treaty was forthcoming from each country's foreign ministers.
However, he stressed the scale-back did not represent a ceasefire, and he said talks on a formal agreement with Kyiv have a long way to go.
But the withdrawals around Kyiv and Chernihiv have been noted by the Ukrainians, said the general staff of the country's military.
Sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich appeared at the peace negotiations on Tuesday morning, following allegations he was poisoned at earlier talks - a claim the Kremlin rejected as part of an "information war".
Read more: Just how involved is Roman Abramovich in peace talks?
Zelenskyy's proposals for peace
Earlier talks, held in Belarus or by video, failed to make progress on ending the conflict that has killed thousands and driven more than 10 million Ukrainians from their homes - including almost four million forced abroad.
The Ukrainian president indicated previously his country is prepared to declare neutrality, as Moscow has demanded, and that compromise may be possible over "the complex issue of Donbas" in the country's east, where separatists backed by Russia have controlled since 2014.
But it is unclear how that might be reconciled with his stance that "Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt".
Mr Blinken appeared to dismiss the idea of Russia being able to "subjugate" parts of Ukraine, saying: "We've seen the will and the determination of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future, not to have Russia or anyone else determine it for them."
Russia has long demanded Ukraine drop any hope of joining NATO, which Moscow sees as a threat.
Mr Zelensky, for his part, has stressed Ukraine needs security guarantees of its own as part of any deal.
Read more: Zelenskyy offers Putin a way out of war - but will Russia's leader budge?
Ukraine warned 'significant threat' remains to Kyiv
Meanwhile, as Ukrainian forces entered their 34th day of war, the UK's ministry of defence said the Kremlin forces still pose a "significant threat" to the capital, through their strike capability.
And later, Downing Street stressed the need for the West not to let off in its response to the crisis.
During a call with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the US, Boris Johnson "underscored that we must judge Putin's regime by their actions not their words".
A US official also warned of "continued major offensives" on other areas of Ukraine.
In his latest address to the nation, Ukraine's president said troops were regaining territory around the capital, and he heralded the "liberation" of Irpin, a key town on the northwest fringe of Kyiv.
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2022-03-29 16:07:30Z
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