This handout photo released by the Turkish presidential press service on March 29, 2022, shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opening Ukrainian-Russian talks in Istanbul. AFP
Officials familiar with the intelligence picture said Tuesday that Moscow is reinforcing troops in the Donbas in an attempt to encircle Ukraine's best-trained and best-equipped forces, which are concentrated in the eastern region. Moscow has said gaining control of the Donbas is now its main military goal in Ukraine.
A Western official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence said it's clear that Russia's ``tactics and strategies are changing'' but it's not yet clear what that prefigures.
The British government also expressed skepticism about Russia's claims to be scaling back and its commitment to ending the war through talks.
``We will judge Putin and his regime by his actions, not by his words,'' said Max Blain, spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
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