President Vladimir V. Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had decided “to partially pull back troops” as the defence ministry announced that some forces from military districts bordering Ukraine were being sent back to their garrisons, a tentative sign that Russia could be stepping away from the threat of an invasion.

The announcement was the strongest signal yet that Russia might be trying to de-escalate the military standoff near the Ukrainian border, but it was far from clear that the threat of war had passed.

Speaking at the Kremlin after meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Putin said Russia would keep pushing for its central demands of a rollback of the Nato presence in Eastern Europe and a guarantee that Ukraine never join the alliance.

“We are also ready to continue on the negotiating track, but all these questions, as has been said before, must be viewed comprehensively,” Putin said.

It couldn’t be determined how many troops were being pulled back, and a defence ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said that some military exercises that have raised fears of an attack against Ukraine — including in Belarus and in the Black Sea — were continuing.

US officials said they were still assessing Russia’s troop announcement, and the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that members of the alliance “have not seen any sign of de-escalation”.

Stoltenberg added that Russia has moved forces around before while leaving heavy weapons in place.

Still, Putin’s comments added to signs that Moscow was willing to pursue its objectives through negotiations rather than launch immediate military action. When asked about how Russia would act next, Putin responded with a slight smile: “According to the plan.”

He said Russia would seek to achieve its key aims but that the outcome of the process “does not only depend on us”.

“We intend to and will strive to reach agreement with our partners on the questions that we posed, in order to solve them by taking a diplomatic path,” Putin said.