A woman walks past a trainload of Ukrainian tanks which are set to leave Crimean peninsular near the Crimean capital Simferopol on Monday. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered last week all weapons and hardware left by the Ukrainian military after Crimea’s accession to Russia to be returned to Ukraine. AFP PHOTO
KIEV: Ukraine on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) reported a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from its eastern border, amid growing signs that the Kremlin is ready to defuse the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War.