US embassy in Ukraine asks staff to evacuate amid Russia invasion fears
According to CNN, the US embassy in Ukraine has requested the evacuation of all non-essential staff due to increasing fears of an imminent Russian invasion and the arrival overnight of arms deliveries promised by President Joe Biden.
The US cable news network said the US evacuations are likely to start as early as next week, according to a source close to the Ukrainian government. It marks the embassy's shift in focus on helping Ukraine bolster its defences in the face of growing Russian aggression. The first batch of fresh US assistance had arrived in Kyiv, which includes weapons described as 200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the frontline defenders of Ukraine. It follows Biden's statement on Wednesday in the White House that he now expects Russian president Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine in an act that would see large-scale war return to continental Europe for the first time in a generation.
Biden said that he will move in in response to questions about whether an invasion was coming. He has to do something. On Friday, US secretary of state Antony Blinken held talks with Russian diplomats in Switzerland in a bid to avoid conflict, with Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov striking a conciliatory tone and the diplomatic process ongoing.
After the meeting, Blinken said, "We didn't expect any breakthroughs to happen today." I believe we are now on a clearer path in terms of understanding each other's concerns. Britain and Russia's defence ministers will meet after Russia spokesman Sergei Shoigu accepted an invitation from the UK s Ben Wallace to discuss mutual security. The secretary of state has stated that he will look at all avenues to reach stability and a resolution to the Ukraine crisis. A senior UK defence source told PA Media that we are in communication with the Russian government.
It came after Downing Street warned Russia would be punished if the country pushes ahead with any destabilising action in Ukraine, as an estimated 100,000 Russian troops sit on the borders of Ukraine.
No 10 said if Putin launched an offensive, there would be a package of sweeping measures launched by Western allies against the Kremlin.
But Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, demanded advance action, saying the UK should be prepared to financially support Ukraine so it is prepared for an invasion.
Tugendhat said that it was important for all of us to go further because one of the things that s delaying the ability of the Ukrainian people to mobilise their forces to meet any such invasion is that has a huge impact on the country's economy. If you take hundreds of thousands of people out of the workforce in order to stand guard, you're going to have a real impact on jobs and lives in other sectors. Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the commons defence committee, echoed concerns of a nearing military antagonism and said he believed that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent and Putin is taking full advantage of a weakened west. He told the BBC that we are somewhat timid and risk-averse. Putin's ultimatum demanding Nato push back was dismissed, but that gave him the pretext to say that there is an aggressor and that he must act. These troops are ready for combat. Ellwood said that he has actually boxed himself into a corner because so much effort has been put into this. He also recognizes that he will never be as strong as this to take advantage of the weakness of the West.