Ukraine — The United States ordered the departure of the majority of its diplomatic personnel in Kyiv on Saturday, amid growing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet on Saturday, amid warnings from Western nations that Moscow may attack its neighbour at any time. The two leaders last spoke on December 30.
According to a readout of the conversation provided by the Department of State, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “to discuss acute and shared concerns that Russia may be considering launching further military aggression against Ukraine in the coming days.”
Blinken “made clear that a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open,” according to the report, “but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith negotiations.”
According to a Russian Foreign Ministry transcript of the call, Lavrov accused Washington of launching a “propaganda campaign” about impending Russian aggression while neglecting Moscow’s fundamental requests.
The call came after the State Department issued a travel alert stating that it had “ordered the departure of most US direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action.”
The Department of State has announced that consular services at the US Embassy in Kyiv would be suspended as of Sunday.
“The embassy will maintain a small consular presence in Lviv, Ukraine to handle emergencies,” according to the advice. “However, the embassy will not be able to provide passport, visa, or routine consular services.”
Lviv, which is around 50 miles from the Polish border in western Ukraine, is further distant from potential Russian invasion routes.
On Saturday, Russia announced that its embassy in Kyiv will be closing. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement on Saturday that it will “optimize” its employee levels in the face of “provocation.”
They added, “Please note that our embassies and consulates will continue to perform their basic functions.”
Although authorities do not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a final decision, the Biden administration believes there is a “distinct possibility” that Russia would attack Ukraine before the completion of the Winter Olympics on February 20.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday that the prospect of such an intervention is “now immediate enough” to advise Americans still in Ukraine to depart within the next 24 to 48 hours.
However, the mood in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, was peaceful. Shoppers meandered about, some loading up on food from overflowing grocery shelves.
In a statement released on Saturday, the country’s Foreign Ministry stated that the government has increased its capabilities to safeguard its citizens.
“Ukraine now has a strong position, including as a result of coordinated diplomatic contacts at all levels, the conclusion of the US and EU’s preparations for tough economic sanctions, arms supplies, and macro-financial assistance,” the statement stated.