The US government is closing the US embassy in Kiev and “temporarily relocating” the small number of diplomatic staff remaining in the country to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, “due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces,” the US official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, this Monday (14).
“I ordered these measures for one reason: the safety of our staff, and we urge any US citizens remaining in Ukraine to leave the country immediately,” Blinken said in a statement.
“These prudent precautions in no way undermine our support for or our commitment to Ukraine. Our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering,” she added. “We also continue our sincere efforts to reach a diplomatic solution and remain engaged with the Russian government following President Biden’s call with President Putin and my discussion with Foreign Minister Lavrov.”
“The path to diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage in good faith. We look forward to returning our team to the embassy as soon as conditions allow,” added Blinken.
The moves come days after the US ordered the vast majority of the country’s government officials to leave Ukraine and announced that consular services at the US embassy would be suspended effective Sunday.
The State Department said this weekend it would maintain a small consular presence in Lviv for emergency services.
US officials have repeatedly urged US citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, warning that a Russian invasion could occur at any time, including this week.
“What we are trying to do publicly is to be transparent to American citizens that they must leave Ukraine immediately because there will not be a military evacuation in the event of an invasion,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on the “State of the Union” program. ” gives CNN Sunday.
“And we are trying to tell the Ukrainians to prepare and be ready for that as well, as well as coordinate with our allies and NATO partners, so that we can defend allied territory and prevent any further Russian aggression should they advance into Ukraine,” he added. .
In an interview with reporters on Saturday, a senior State Department official said they were “planning to try to keep the core functions of our embassy as long as possible with a reduced number of people.” This official said US diplomats have been getting rid of confidential information in recent days in preparation for the embassy withdrawal.
Concern for the security of US diplomats has increased in recent days, especially as Biden administration officials have said Russia could begin its invasion with air strikes and missiles, which could kill civilians indiscriminately. Kiev is also just two hours from the Ukraine-Belarus border, where Russia has continued to increase its troop presence.
Source: CNN Brasil
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