In the face of rising tensions over Ukraine, the United States decided to move soldiers stationed in that country. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the temporary withdrawal of 160 Florida National Guard soldiers from Ukrainian territory. The Americans have been in Ukraine as part of a training mission since November last year. They will go to another country in Europe.

The safety of our employees is our top priority. We remain committed to our relationship with the Ukrainian Armed Forces – wrote in the statement.

Great Britain decided to take a similar step. British Deputy Defense Secretary James Hebe has informed that British soldiers who were in Ukraine over the weekend will be withdrawn. About 100 military personnel were on an orbital mission and about 30 were sent in January to train Ukrainian soldiers. – In the event of a conflict, British soldiers will not remain in Ukraine. He noted that “they will be leaving at the end of the week.”

The United States is withdrawing diplomats from Ukraine

The United States and Britain are also evacuating their diplomats. On Saturday, the US State Department ordered the departure of diplomats from the US Embassy in Kyiv who do not hold critical positions due to “Constant reports of a Russian military gathering on the border with Ukraine, indicating the possibility of major military action.”

From February 13, the State Department suspended consular services at the United States Embassy in Kyiv. Urgent matters will be dealt with by the Consulate in Lviv. The US diplomatic services also appealed to its citizens not to travel to Ukraine, and urged those there to leave.

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US warns of Russian invasion of Ukraine

The embassy’s movement related to warnings of possible Russian aggression against Ukraine in the coming days. According to unofficial US media reports, Vladimir Putin was on the verge of informing the Russian armed forces that they would soon strike Ukraine. On Friday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned that the attack could occur during the Beijing Olympics. – We see signs of further escalation on the part of Russia over Ukraine (…). We are ready for any actions on the part of Russia. “If Russia takes any action, our response will be immediate, and Ukraine’s support will continue uninterrupted,” Sullivan said. The Kremlin denied these reports. On Saturday, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin will talk about the crisis over the phone.

After warnings from the United States, the German Foreign Ministry called on its citizens to leave Ukraine. These calls had been issued earlier by several countries, including Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, Latvia and Australia.


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