The U.S. is “temporarily” relocating its embassy operations from Kyiv, Ukraine, to the western city of Lviv due to the “dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.”
Secretary of State Antony 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.”
“The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage in good faith. We look forward to returning our staff to the Embassy as soon as conditions permit,” he added.
Breaking: US is closing its embassy in Kyiv and "temporarily relocating" the small number of remaining diplomatic personnel to Lviv, a city in the west of the country, "due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces," Secretary of State Blinken announced.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) February 14, 2022
Russia has amassed roughly 130,000 soldiers on Ukraine’s borders, stoking fears that it is considering an invasion.
Over the weekend, the U.S. ordered most of its staff to evacuate its embassy.
On Friday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan urged Americans in Ukraine to “depart immediately.”
“We obviously cannot predict the future. We don’t know exactly what is going to happen. But the risk is now high enough, and the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands. If you stay, you are assuming risk with no guarantee that there will be any other opportunity to leave and no prospect of a U.S. military evacuation in the event of a Russian invasion,” he added.
President Joe Biden spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday and warned that a full-scale invasion of Ukraine would lead to “widespread human suffering and diminish Russia’s standing.” He also said the international response would be “swift and severe.”