The United States is weighing whether to evacuate the families of diplomats from Ukraine as tensions escalate between Ukraine and Russia, Bloomberg News reported.
The move comes as Russia positions about 100,000 troops on the Russia-Ukraine border. Bloomberg News reported that family members would have to return home and non-essential employees would have the option to leave Ukraine. A source told the outlet that the announcement could come within days.
About 180 Americans and 560 Ukrainians work for the embassy in Kyiv, not including their family members.
The move comes as the United States tries to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “if Russia wants to begin to convince the world that it has no aggressive intent toward Ukraine, a very good place to start would be de-escalating”.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed concerns about Ukraine as Western “hysteria” and said Russia had no plans to attack the country.
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“What Nato is now doing toward Ukraine clearly shows that Nato sees Ukraine as part of its sphere of influence,” he said.
During his press conference on Wednesday, President Joe Biden raised concerns about his remarks.
“Russia will be held accountable if it invades – and it depends on what it does. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and what to not do, et cetera,” he said.
But on Thursday, Mr Biden clarified that Russia would face heavy consequences whatever the scale of any action against its neighbour.
“I’ve been absolutely clear with President Putin, he has no misunderstanding, if any, any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion,” Mr Biden said.