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STATE DEPARTMENT ORDERS DIPLOMATS' FAMILIES TO LEAVE U.S. EMBASSY IN UKRAINE,
CITING ‘THREAT OF RUSSIAN MILITARY ACTION’


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv,
Ukraine, on Jan. 19. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AP)
By John Hudson
and 
Paul Sonne
 
Yesterday at 10:11 p.m. EST
By John Hudson
and 
Paul Sonne
 
Yesterday at 10:11 p.m. EST
Share this story

The State Department ordered the departure of all family members of U.S. Embassy
personnel serving in Kyiv on Sunday, citing the “threat of Russian military
action.”

The department also told nonessential staff they can leave the country — a
decision that underscores the growing fears in Washington of an imminent
military invasion of Ukraine by Moscow as it amasses tens of thousands of
Russian troops around Ukraine’s borders.

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The volatile atmosphere is the latest indication that efforts to de-escalate the
crisis have faltered following talks between Secretary of State Antony Blinken
and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday.

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“The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in
Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are
unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice,” the department said in a
statement. “U.S. citizens in Ukraine should consider departing now using
commercial or other privately available transportation options.”


On Jan. 23, the State Department ordered diplomats' families to depart its
embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, due to the "continued threat of Russian military
actions." (Reuters)
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The departure of family members and some nonessential staff comes as the Biden
administration weighs sending thousands of U.S. forces, as well as armaments, to
reinforce NATO allies in Poland and the Baltics, according to a U.S. official,
who cautioned that a decision on such a deployment has not been made. The
administration is not considering sending U.S. forces to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has regularly said that if Russia invades Ukraine, the
United States will be forced to put more forces and weapons in allied nations
along Russia’s periphery — the opposite of what Russian President Vladimir Putin
says he wants.

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But Russia has moved forces, armored personnel carriers and fighter jets to
Belarus, allegedly to carry out joint military exercises in coming weeks.
Military analysts worry the exercises could be a ruse to launch an attack on
Ukraine across its northern border from Belarusian territory. The border with
Belarus is just a few hours north of Kyiv.

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The deployments in Belarus have also alarmed the NATO countries on the
alliance’s eastern flank, three of which — Poland, Latvia and Lithuania — share
a border with Belarus and face a threat from the Russian buildup there. 



The Baltic nations — Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia — have been pushing for a
larger U.S. troop presence on their territory to deter Russia from invading. In
a letter to U.S. lawmakers, reported by Politico, top Lithuanian officials wrote
that effective deterrence against Russia can be achieved only by having forces
already in place in the nation. The United States already has about 200 military
trainers in Ukraine, which Moscow has characterized as a threat to its security.

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U.S. officials declined to offer more details about why the departure order was
being made now, other than relaying President Biden’s recent remark that a
Russian invasion “could happen at any time.”

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U.S. officials say they have intelligence of a Russian plan to invade Ukraine
but acknowledge they don’t know Moscow’s ultimate intentions.

On Saturday, Britain accused the Russian government of having plans to install a
pro-Russian Ukrainian politician in Kyiv in the event that Ukraine’s pro-Western
government collapses. The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied any intention to
attack Ukraine and has accused Western governments of increasing tensions in the
region through disinformation.

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U.S. officials stressed that the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv will remain open and that
Washington continues to support Ukraine in the face of Russian “aggression.”
They refused to provide the number of U.S. citizens who are in Ukraine.

The State Department modified its travel advisory on Sunday to carry a more
urgent warning due to the coronavirus and “increased threats of Russian military
action.”

The actions fall short of an evacuation order of U.S. personnel.





Dan Lamothe contributed to this report.

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