The State Department has ordered families of U.S. Embassy personnel in Ukraine to begin evacuating the country as soon as Monday, U.S. officials tell Fox News. Next week, the State Department is also expected to encourage Americans to begin leaving Ukraine by commercial flights, “while those are still available,” one official said.
Moscow has massed tens of thousands of troops at the border with Ukraine, leading to fears of an invasion. Late Friday night, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine announced the first shipment of ammunition had arrived as directed by President Biden.
The Times of Israel reported that a State Department spokesperson said the United States is not “at this time” organizing an evacuation of American citizens from Ukraine despite rising fears of an unspecified military action by Russia.
In the event matters deteriorate, however, “American citizens should not anticipate that there will be US government-sponsored evacuations,” the spokesperson said, speaking on grounds of anonymity. “Currently, commercial flights are available to support departures.”
The State Department had already advised US citizens not to travel to Ukraine due to concerns about COVID-19. A department website also urges them “to reconsider travel due to increased threats from Russia.”
According to Newsweek, Russian President Vladimir Putin has also announced joint military drills on Ukraine’s border with close ally Belarus as well as new naval exercises in the Black Sea, and even threatened to deploy Russian military assets to Cuba and Venezuela.
In a White House press conference held Wednesday, President Biden said he expects Putin “will move” against Ukraine but that the U.S. and its NATO allies are ready to impose “heavy” costs on Russia via sanctions and military support for Ukraine.
