Putin says Russia has pulled troops from Ukraine border

President Vladimir Putin today said that Moscow had pulled back its forces from the Ukrainian border amid Western fears of an imminent military invasion of Russia's crisis-hit Western neighbour.

"We were told constantly about concerns over our troops near the Ukrainian border. We have pulled them back. Today they are not at the Ukrainian border but in places of regular exercises, at training grounds," he said after meeting with Swiss president and current OSCE chief Didier Burkhalter.