The United States on Saturday ordered the withdrawal of the majority of staff from its embassy in Kiev, deeming it possible that a Russian offensive against Ukraine was imminent.
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Washington also announced the withdrawal of almost all of the last American soldiers present in Ukraine.
In a day rich in diplomatic exchanges, the American and Russian Ministers of Defense, Lloyd Austin and Sergei Shoigu, “discussed the reinforcement of Russian forces in Crimea and around Ukraine”, according to a brief account published by the Pentagon.
In a sign of growing concern in the United States, “the State Department has ordered the departure of the majority of its employees at the embassy in Kiev”, according to a new information notice for travelers published on the internet.
The embassy will maintain a small consular presence in Lviv, in western Ukraine about 70 km from the Polish border, to handle urgent issues, the State Department said.
“Prudence dictates that we be prepared for the worst-case scenario,” a senior State Department official said on condition of anonymity. “Unfortunately, there are more and more signals that we are heading in this direction.”
The United States has also withdrawn 160 American soldiers who were training Ukrainian forces to “reposition them elsewhere in Europe”, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby announced on Saturday.
According to him, Mr Austin made this decision “with the safety and security of (the) staff in mind”.
Russia has since November massed more than 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine. While denying wanting to attack Ukraine, it began major maneuvers in Belarus on Thursday and is preparing for maneuvers in the Black Sea, effectively encircling the country.
In this context, “American nationals in Ukraine should be aware that the government will not be able to evacuate (them)” in the event of a Russian offensive, which could “begin at any time and without warning”, according to the embassy website in Kyiv.
On Friday, the United States called on its citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible, a call which was followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia. , Japan and Israel.
Germany relayed this same message on Saturday at midday.
“If you are currently in Ukraine, make sure your presence is imperative. If this is not the case, leave the country in the short term”, indicates the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the senior State Department official, “about 2,000 American citizens have made it known in recent days that they are present” in Ukraine, and some of them want to stay there.
“They should not expect the US government to be able to save them if they find themselves in danger in a war zone,” he added. “The time to leave is already over.”
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