US to evacuate Ukraine embassy amid fears of Russian invasion
The US diplomatic staff have been ordered to evacuate the embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kiev amid reports of a possible Russian invasion.
The move, which was reported by unnamed US officials who were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, will take place on Saturday.
The officials said the US State Department plans to announce early Saturday that almost all American staff at the Kiev embassy will be required to leave ahead of a feared Russian invasion.
A small number out of some 200 Americans working at the Kiev US embassy may be allowed to remain in the Ukrainian capital; however, the majority will be sent out or relocated to Ukraine’s far west, near the border with Poland, so the US can retain its diplomatic presence in the country.
Meanwhile, US officials have once more sound the alarm about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, said at a White House media briefing on Friday that Russia has all the military elements in place needed for an invasion of Ukraine.
He urged the Americans in Ukraine to leave quickly, saying, “We can’t pinpoint the day at this point, and we can’t pinpoint the hour, but that is a very, very distinct possibility,” Sullivan said, cautioning that US officials still do not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade and the US continues to seek a diplomatic outcome to the crisis.
In August, American diplomats in Kabul were still in the Afghan capital when it fell into the hands of the Taliban.
Almost everyone agreed the US government had messed up and failed to evacuate all the American diplomats and contractors, NATO forces and Afghan allies in time before the Taliban takeover.
Meanwhile, Pentagon announced on Friday it is sending another 3,000 combat troops to Poland.
The fresh troops will join some 1,700 American reinforcements, who are already assembling in Poland, in a show of the Americans' commitment to NATO and support for the European member states of NATO, who fear a Russian invasion on the eastern European country.
The United States already has about 80,000 troops based in Europe at permanent stations and on rotational deployments.
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