The US Embassy in Ukraine will be evacuated as a Russian invasion
Key Takeaways:
- ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, the US is planning to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv, citing US officials, amid claims of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, the US State Department plans to announce the evacuation of the American embassy in Kyiv by early Saturday.
According to the Associated Press, which cited US officials, the US is planning to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv amid claims of an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine. This comes after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan issued a warning about Russian escalation, citing the arrival of more troops at the Ukrainian border. According to Sullivan, the invasion could start "at any time if Vladimir Putin decides to order it."
The NSA said the invasion "could start during the Olympics, despite the amount of speculation that it would only occur after the Olympics," without commenting on the specifics of the intelligence received.
As per the Associated Press, the US State Department intends to announce the evacuation of the American embassy in Kyiv by early Saturday.
The department has already ordered the families of US embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave but has left it up to non-essential personnel to decide whether or not to leave.
According to the US officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly regarding the matter, a small number of American diplomats could be relocated to Ukraine's far west, near the Polish border, to maintain a diplomatic presence in the country.
The US stated that it is prepared to continue results-oriented diplomacy to address security concerns and respond decisively, alongside allies, if Russia decides to take military action.
"Our response would have included severe economic sanctions, with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, as well as other countries imposing similar measures." According to Sullivan, changes to Nato and American force posture along Nato's eastern flank would also be included.