The U.S. is decreasing its embassy staff in Kyiv as signs increase of an imminent attack from Russia. The State Department is warning all Americans to depart Ukraine immediately and the U.S. is moving 160 troops stationed in Ukraine to other parts of Europe.
The U.S. State Department is warning that it is “past time” for American citizens to leave Ukraine, as the threat of a Russian invasion remains imminent. Late Friday night, the department directed U.S. embassy staff in Kyiv to depart the country. The U.S. is also suspending most consular services in Ukraine starting Sunday.
President Biden was expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the crisis on Saturday.
The State Department’s travel advisory for Ukraine has also been updated, telling Americans in that country to “depart immediately.”
“We fervently hope and continue to work intensively to try to ensure that Ukraine does not become a war zone,” a senior State Department official said on Saturday at a news briefing. “However, it appears increasingly likely that this is where this situation is headed, toward some kind of active conflict.”
“That is why we are reducing our staff to a bare minimum while we still have the ability to get our official people out safely and in a predictable fashion,” the official said.
While the U.S. embassy is not closing, the staff remaining in Ukraine will conduct only essential business. Some staff is relocating to the office in Lviv, as well, where emergency consular services will be available.
The State Department is not detailing the exact number of personnel staying in the country, but says the staff remaining will include security support and communications staff.
The State Department official also said that while it is reducing its “official footprint” in Ukraine, the U.S. is still supporting the Ukrainian government and people. Ammunition from the U.S. is still arriving there, the official said.
The official said Ukrainian officials have remained “very professional” about the steps the U.S. is taking to decrease its presence, “even if all of them don’t necessarily agree.”
Source: (NPR)
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