As of: 02/14/2022 9:37 p.m
Because of the tense situation in the Ukraine crisis, the US is moving its embassy from Kiev to the Polish border. This is just a precautionary measure, US Secretary of State Blinken said.
The US is moving the operations of its embassy in Ukraine from the capital Kiev to Lviv, near the Polish border. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was a precautionary measure because of the tense situation. The “precautions” were for the safety of diplomats and would in no way undermine US support for Ukraine.
As the AFP news agency reported, all US representatives are said to have already left the embassy. The building was closed, the US flag was taken down. Blinken said the diplomats would continue to work with the Ukrainian government from Lviv, some 60 kilometers from the Polish border in western Ukraine. He again called on US citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately. Consular services are to be offered in Lviv for emergencies.
The US government had already announced at the weekend that it would reduce its embassy staff in Ukraine to a minimum. The families of diplomats were ordered to leave the embassy in Kiev at the end of January. Employees who are not immediately needed were allowed to leave the country.
Pentagon: Russian attack possible without warning
According to the US Department of Defense, a Russian attack is possible at any time. “I think we all have to be prepared that it could happen with little or no warning,” ministry spokesman John Kirby said on CNN. Kirby said Putin continued to gather troops in the border area with Ukraine over the weekend. The number of Russian soldiers is now well over 100,000.
But it’s about more than that number. According to Kirby, Putin has “an impressive arsenal of military capabilities” should he decide to attack.
Meanwhile, US National Guards have been withdrawn from Ukraine. However, the US continues to have “a small military presence” in the country, which is related to the continued presence of US diplomats. “We will not send American troops to Ukraine to fight,” Kirby said. But Russia must reckon with tough economic sanctions. NATO would be united in the crisis.