On Monday, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. is closing its embassy in the Russian capital, Kyiv, and momentarily shifting the small number of diplomatic leftovers in the country to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, amid the dramatic speeding up in the Russian military buildup. Blinked stated that he ordered these actions for a reason: that is the safety of the U.S. staff – and they strongly encourage any American national in Ukraine to withdraw from the country instantly.
The US Secretary Antony Blinken announced Monday that the US is closing its Embassy in the Ukrainian. The officials settled to relocate a small number of remaining diplomatic staff in Kyiv to Lviv due to the fears of likely Russian invasion after the accelerated military buildup. pic.twitter.com/gMDsmisE6K
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Recent moves come some days after the United States ordered the maximum number of American personnel to leave Ukraine and, as of Sunday, announced to suspend consular services at the American Embassy amid concerns over likely Russian aggression, even as American officials emphasized to stay committed to finding a diplomatic solution of the crisis. On Monday, spokesman of the U.S. State Department Ned Price noted that though Moscow announced that it is open to dialogs, it is still unclear to the U.S. whether Russia agrees to pursue a diplomatic solution contrary to the use of force.
U.S. Officials Urged Americans to Leave Ukraine Immediately
A source knowing the matter told CNN that a Russian invasion of Ukraine sometime this week is more probable than not. However, if Moscow doesn’t make any move this week, it doesn’t essentially mean it won’t happen – Russia can maintain its present force position for some time. On Saturday, a senior U.S. State Department official said that American diplomats got rid of classified info in recent days in preparation for the consulate drawdown.
United States officials constantly urged American nationals to withdraw from Ukraine instantly, warning that a Russian attack now and Russian aggression comes anytime, including as early as this week. On Sunday, Jake Sullivan, the American National security adviser, said on State of the Union of CNN that what they are trying to do publicly is evident to the U.S. nationals that they should evacuate Ukraine as early as possible because there will be a military withdrawal in the invasion event.
The intention of the U.S. to Return to the Kyiv Embassy
Price further expressed that the National Guard Police of Ukraine will protect the American Embassy in Kyiv. Additionally, he said that it is undoubtedly the U.S. intention to return to the embassy in the Ukrainian capital as early as it is safe for Americans. The staff members relocated to Lviv consist of the key diplomatic staff, and they will remain in coordination with the Ukrainian government to converse diplomatic efforts.
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The source familiar with the affair told CNN that they believe the gap between Ukraine and the United States is narrowing the possibility of a Russian invasion. The secretary of state spoke with Dmytro Kuleba, his Ukrainian counterpart on Monday – their second dialogue in some days – and emphasized America and allies committed to the territorial and sovereignty integrity of Ukraine, including its financial and economic stability.
According to Kyiv, the Biden government is considering offering around $1 billion in loan guarantees to the Ukrainian government amid fears over a likely Russian attack, several sources having knowledge of the matter said. In recent days, the United States also had talks with Russia seeking a diplomatic path to the conflict. However, as of yesterday, the United States still had to receive a response from Russian officials.
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