The State Department has issued an order for U.S Citizens’ families to leave the country, U.S. officials told a news outlet.
Officials Have Instructed Families of US Embassy Staff in Ukraine to Begin Fleeing as soon as Monday.
Russia-Ukraine Tension
According to a published report in The New York Post, the State Department will ask families of US Embassy staff in Ukraine to depart as soon as Monday, as Russian belligerence grows. The State Department has already issued the highest-level travel warning for Ukraine, advising Americans not to travel there.
Furthermore, an official from the State Department talks about what happen if Russia enters Ukraine. Blinken’s posts came only hours after his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Geneva ended in a deadlock, insisting that Russia has no plans to attack. However, Russian fighter jets have arrived in Belarus, which is located north of Ukraine. Another person noted that the Pentagon is concerned that Ukraine’s capital is “now in the crosshairs.”
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America’s Contingency Plan
According to different sources with the situation, the US Embassy in Kyiv has requested that the State Department permit the evacuation of all non-essential workers and their families. A State government spokeswoman also said the department would not comment on private conversations. However, that choice about abroad personnel is made based on a single criterion; American safety and security. Moreover, the embassy’s request is a step up from CNN’s report earlier this month that the US was working on contingency plans to evacuate Americans from Ukraine. This happens as Russia continues to deploy soldiers near the border, raising worries of a fresh invasion.
Officials in the United States are still unsure of Russian President Putin’s plans, or even if he has decided to invade. According to CNN, some officials who have seen the material claim there is evidence that Russia is intending to take Kyiv and overturn the government. On Friday, Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met but could not reach an agreement, though both sides agreed to continue diplomatic negotiations. After the US provides a formal answer to Russian demands next week, the two officials will meet again.
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