Russian President Vladimir Putin took a step back from confrontation with the West over Ukraine, calling on May 7 for pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country to postpone an independence referendum that had been scheduled for May 11. He also said he had withdrawn troops from the Ukrainian border.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
The Globe and Mail: Putin cools rhetoric, but NATO disputes claims of troop pullback
Russian President Vladimir Putin called pro-Russian separatists to postpone referendum in the eastern Ukraine on May 7.
