“We are in the process of temporarily relocating the operations” of the embassy in Kiev “to Lviv”, declared Antony Blinken in a press release on Monday February 14, ensuring that he wanted to guarantee the “safety of Americans”.
The United States has decided to move its embassy in Ukraine from Kiev to Lviv, in the west of the country, in the face of the “dramatic acceleration” of the deployment of Russian forces on the border, the head of American diplomacy announced on Monday. . “We are in the process of temporarily relocating the operations” of the embassy in Kiev “to Lviv”, declared Antony Blinken in a press release, ensuring that he wanted to guarantee the “safety of Americans”.
“We strongly urge any U.S. nationals still in Ukraine to leave the country immediately”
“The embassy will remain in contact with the Ukrainian government” but “we strongly urge any American nationals still in Ukraine to leave the country immediately,” he added. “We are also continuing our intense diplomatic efforts for a de-escalation of the crisis.”
“We intend to bring our staff back to the embassy as soon as conditions permit,” added the Secretary of State. The embassy staff in the Ukrainian capital had already been reduced to its minimum when the United States ordered the departure of most of its diplomats this weekend and ended consular services in Kiev. A small consular presence had already been set up in Lviv, about 70 km from the Polish border, for emergencies.
At the embassy in Kiev, a Ukrainian security guard told AFP that all the Americans had left, and that the building was now closed. No United States flag was visible.
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