The US orders the evacuation of its personnel in Ukraine and recommends leaving the country

• The US orders the evacuation of its non-essential personnel in Ukraine.
• It also advises U.S. citizens residing there to leave the country.
• The decision to leave is due to the «continued threat of military action by Russia».

IS A WAR LOOMING? The US orders the evacuation of its non-essential personnel in Ukraine and recommends that US citizens residing there leave the country. This is due to the instability generated by Russia’s «continued threat» to its neighboring country.

On Sunday, January 23, President Biden’s administration ordered the departure of the families of U.S. embassy employees in Ukraine and also authorized the withdrawal of all those who are not essential personnel from the European country.

The US orders the evacuation of non-essential personnel in Ukraine

The US State Department said in a statement that the decision was due to the «continued threat of military action by Russia.» It is precisely because of this «threat» that it is recommended that Americans residing in Ukraine also leave the country.

“There are reports that Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine and security conditions, particularly on Ukraine’s borders, in Crimea and in Russian-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, are ‘unpredictable’ and may ‘deteriorate’. without notice,» warned the State Department.

Relationships are strained

As for personnel and their families, the U.S. directed them to begin evacuating as early as this Monday, just hours after giving their formal notice. With respect to U.S. citizens residing in Ukraine, it advised them to «depart using commercial transportation or any other available private options.»

The Department of Foreign Affairs explained to U.S. citizens in Ukraine that this extreme decision is due to possible Russian military action against any location in Ukraine and could even «seriously impact the U.S. embassy.»

The United States asks its people to leave Ukraine

If something like this were to happen, the U.S. embassy’s ability to provide consular services to its countrymen on foreign soil would be diminished. Officials have asked all Americans in Ukraine to register through their website so that the embassy can contact them in cases of emergency.

As the U.S. works hastily to get its people out of Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues to address the potential ‘threat’. «We have made it clear that if there is further Russian aggression against Ukraine, there will be a swift, stern and united response from the United States and Europe,» he wrote on Twitter.

Facing the Russian threat

While the U.S. position is firm, they hope to be able to achieve a peaceful exit. «Even as we develop deterrence and defense of Ukraine, we also engage in diplomacy, which is clearly the preferable path for everyone,» Blinken clarified.

Indeed, in an interview with CNN, Secretary of State Blinken discussed both possibilities with Russia. «We have given Russia two paths: diplomacy is the preferable path, but we are prepared for both paths,» he said.

The US advises against traveling to Russia

After asking U.S. citizens to withdraw from Ukraine and approving the evacuation of embassy staff, officials also warned people not to travel to Russia because of serious tensions between that country and neighboring Ukraine.

The United States now places Russia at a level 4 travel advisory, which means that it recommends that its citizens not visit this country. The tensions appear to be purely political, but authorities warn that there could be «harassment» against any Americans, EFE noted.

Travel recommendations at level 4

Ukraine is also at a level 4 travel recommendation. The Biden administration warns that U.S. citizens could be victims of «harassment» if they were to visit either country. They added that this could include «Russian government security officials».

Of course, this is not the only threat that a trip to these countries could pose. The U.S. Department of State also notes that there could be other threats such as «terrorism» or the «arbitrary imposition» of local laws and that even the pandemic could be a risk factor.

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