In his first reported comments on Ukraine since its presidential election on Sunday, the Kremlin quoted Putin as telling Italy's prime minister by telephone that dialogue between Kiev and representatives of the regions would help efforts to resolve the crisis. NATO: Russian troops may be slowly pulling back from near the Ukraine border, although the bulk of the force remains close to the frontier for now, a NATO military officer said on Tuesday. "NATO has observed some continued Russian troop activity in the vicinity of the border with Ukraine over the past days. There is some evidence of equipment and supplies being packed or prepared for movement in certain locations," the officer said. "The activity we are observing at present could suggest a slow or staged withdrawal of forces. At present, the bulk of the previously deployed Russian force remains in the vicinity of the border," the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. Obama: President Barack Obama congratulated Ukraine's president-elect, Petro Poroshenko, on his election victory on Tuesday and offered U.S. support as he seeks to unify the country, the White House said. Poroshenko, a billionaire confectionary magnate, won Sunday's election and has vowed to crush a revolt by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine after Russia's seizure of Crimea. A White House statement said Obama congratulated Poroshenko and offered "the full support of the United States as he seeks to unify and move his country forward." The two leaders agreed to continue their conversation during Obama's trip to Europe next week, the White House said. REUTERS