US to evacuate Ukraine embassy amid Russian invasion fears

Good afternoon, Good afternoon. What I will say is that the way that he has built up his forces and put them in place, along with the other indicators that that we have collected through intelligence makes it clear to us that there is a very distinct possibility that Russia will choose to act militarily and there is reason to believe that that could happen on a reasonably swift timeframe. Now we can't pinpoint the day at this point and we can't pinpoint the hour. But what we can say is that there is a credible prospect that a Russian military action would take place even before the end of the olympics. We encourage all american citizens who remain in Ukraine to depart immediately. We want to be crystal clear on this point, Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible. And in any event in the next 24-48 hours, we obviously cannot predict the future. We don't know exactly what is going to happen, but the risk is now high enough and the threat is now immediate enough. That this is what prudence demands. If you stay, you are assuming risk with no guarantee that there will be any other opportunity to leave and there's no prospect of a U. S. Military evacuation in the event of a Russian invasion. If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality. Now again, I'm not standing here and saying what is going to happen or not happen. I'm only standing here to say that the risk is now high enough, and the threat is immediate enough. That prudence demands that it is the time to leave now. While commercial options and commercial rail and air service exist. While the roads are open, the president will not be putting the lives of our men and women in uniform at risk by sending them into a war zone to rescue people who could have left now but chose not to. So we are asking people to make the responsible choice.

The United States is set to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv as Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent.U.S. officials say the State Department plans to announce early Saturday that all American staff at the Kyiv embassy will be required to leave the country ahead of a feared Russian invasion. The State Department would not comment.The department had earlier ordered families of U.S. embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave. But it had left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart. The new move comes as Washington has ratcheted up its warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said a limited number of U.S. diplomats may be relocated to Ukraine’s far west, near the border with Poland, a NATO ally, so the U.S. could retain a diplomatic presence in the country.The Pentagon announced Friday it is sending another 3,000 combat troops to Poland to join 1,700 who already are assembling there in a demonstration of American commitment to NATO allies worried at the prospect of Russia invading Ukraine.The additional soldiers will depart their post at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, over the next couple days and should be in Poland by early next week, according to a defense official, who provided the information under ground rules set by the Pentagon. They are the remaining elements of an infantry brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.Their mission will be to train and provide deterrence but not to engage in combat in Ukraine.That announcement came shortly after Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, issued a public warning for all American citizens in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible. Sullivan said Russian President Vladimir Putin could give the order to launch an invasion of Ukraine any day now.In addition to the U.S. troops deploying to Poland, about 1,000 U.S. soldiers based in Germany are shifting to Romania in a similar mission of reassurance to a NATO ally. Also, 300 soldiers of an 18th Airborne Corps headquarters unit have arrived in Germany, commanded by Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla.On Saturday, a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered the temporary repositioning of members of the Florida National Guard out of Ukraine."Abundance of caution, safety and security of our personnel his paramount concern," Kirby tweeted of Austin's decision. "We remain committed to our relationship with the Ukrainian armed forces." The American troops are to train with host-nation forces but not enter Ukraine for any purpose.The U.S. already has about 80,000 troops throughout Europe at permanent stations and on rotational deployments.___Associated Press writers Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON —

The United States is set to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv as Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent.

U.S. officials say the State Department plans to announce early Saturday that all American staff at the Kyiv embassy will be required to leave the country ahead of a feared Russian invasion. The State Department would not comment.

The department had earlier ordered families of U.S. embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave. But it had left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart. The new move comes as Washington has ratcheted up its warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said a limited number of U.S. diplomats may be relocated to Ukraine’s far west, near the border with Poland, a NATO ally, so the U.S. could retain a diplomatic presence in the country.

The Pentagon announced Friday it is sending another 3,000 combat troops to Poland to join 1,700 who already are assembling there in a demonstration of American commitment to NATO allies worried at the prospect of Russia invading Ukraine.

The additional soldiers will depart their post at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, over the next couple days and should be in Poland by early next week, according to a defense official, who provided the information under ground rules set by the Pentagon. They are the remaining elements of an infantry brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Their mission will be to train and provide deterrence but not to engage in combat in Ukraine.

That announcement came shortly after Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, issued a public warning for all American citizens in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible. Sullivan said Russian President Vladimir Putin could give the order to launch an invasion of Ukraine any day now.

In addition to the U.S. troops deploying to Poland, about 1,000 U.S. soldiers based in Germany are shifting to Romania in a similar mission of reassurance to a NATO ally. Also, 300 soldiers of an 18th Airborne Corps headquarters unit have arrived in Germany, commanded by Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla.

On Saturday, a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered the temporary repositioning of members of the Florida National Guard out of Ukraine.

"Abundance of caution, safety and security of our personnel his paramount concern," of Austin's decision. "We remain committed to our relationship with the Ukrainian armed forces."

The American troops are to train with host-nation forces but not enter Ukraine for any purpose.

The U.S. already has about 80,000 troops throughout Europe at permanent stations and on rotational deployments.

___

Associated Press writers Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.

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