Members of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, training in a city park on January 22, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine. (AP photo)
The State Department on Sunday ordered the families of all US personnel at the US embassy in Ukraine to leave the country amid fears of Russian aggression.
The department told the dependents of employees at the US embassy in Kiev that they should leave the country. It also said that non-essential embassy staff can leave Ukraine at government expense.
The move came amid rising tensions about Russia’s military build-up on the Ukraine border, which was not eased during talks between Foreign Minister Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday.
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State Department officials stressed that the Kiev embassy would remain open and that the announcement did not constitute an evacuation. Officials said the move had been under consideration for some time and did not reflect an easing of US support for Ukraine.
In a statement, the State Department took note of recent reports that Russia was planning significant military action against Ukraine. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry has accused NATO countries of increasing tensions around Ukraine with propaganda.
The State Department said: “The security situation, especially along Ukraine’s borders, in Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can worsen with little notice. Demonstrations, which are at times violent Occurrences regularly throughout Ukraine, including Kiev.”
The department’s travel advisory, which warned against travel to Ukraine due to COVID-19 as well as tensions over Russia, was changed on Sunday to give a stern warning.
“Do not travel to Ukraine due to Russian military action and the growing threat of COVID-19. The exercise has raised vigilance in Ukraine due to crime and civil unrest. The risk has increased in some areas,” the department advised.
The travel advisory for Russia was also changed to: “Do not travel to Russia due to ongoing border tensions with Ukraine, potential for harassment against US citizens, limited ability of the embassy to assist US citizens in Russia, COVID -19 and related entry restrictions, terrorism, harassment by Russian government security officials, and arbitrary enforcement of local law.
The State Department would not say how many Americans are currently in Ukraine. US citizens are not required to register with embassies upon arrival or if they plan to stay abroad for an extended period.
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