Russia announced Tuesday that it is relocating some of its forces away from Ukraine’s border, dismissing reports of an impending invasion as ostentatious hysteria but the West reacted with skepticism, questioning the Kremlin’s credibility and pointing to the presence of a massive military force near the former Soviet state.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to Reuters 

“We’ve always said the troops will return to their bases after the exercises are over. This is the case this time as well,”

However, after a build-up of an estimated 130,000 Russian military to the north, east, and south of Ukraine, it was unclear how many units were being evacuated.

Peskov also accused the US of inflaming the problem by continually warning of an invasion to the point where Russian President Vladimir Putin joked about it, according to Peskov.

Peskov slammed attempts by numerous Western countries, notably the United States and Canada, to relocate their embassies from Kiev, Ukraine’s capital.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated earlier Tuesday that Moscow will continue its security dialogue with the West and is prepared to hold separate discussions on intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

However, he scoffed at claims that Russia is contemplating an invasion of Ukraine, calling them information terrorism.

The soldier withdrawal from Ukraine’s border would be the first big move toward de-escalation in Russia’s weeks-long stalemate with the West.

The Russian Defense Ministry released a video on Tuesday showing tanks and other armored vehicles being loaded into railway wagons.

The United Kingdom, which, along with the United States, has issued the loudest warnings of impending action, reacted warily on Tuesday.

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, said he is heartened by the prospects of a diplomatic settlement, but that the intelligence remains concerning.

While Russia has denied any intention of invading, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has stated that we will need to see a full-scale removal of troops to show that is true.

Putin has requested legally enforceable assurances from the United States and NATO that Kiev would not be permitted to join the Atlantic alliance, that NATO will withdraw troops from Eastern Europe, and that missile systems will not be deployed within Ukraine.