Amid tensions between Russia and the West, which fears a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US government has ordered the families of US diplomats in Kiev to leave the country “due to the continuing threat of a Russian military operation.
Local staff can leave the embassy if they wish, and US citizens residing in Ukraine "should now consider" leaving the country on commercial flights or other means of transportation, the official statement added.
Ukraine described as "premature" and "excessive" the decision of the United States to withdraw the families of its diplomats from the country, for fear of a Russian invasion. "Always respecting the right of foreign states to guarantee the security of their diplomatic missions, we consider this US measure to be premature" and "excessive," Kiev Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said in a statement.
Defer travel
France advised its citizens on Monday to postpone non-essential travel to Ukraine amid escalating tensions between kyiv and Moscow. "As far as possible, we advise deferring non-essential or urgent trips to Ukraine," recommends the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its page on advice for travelers.
The United States and the European Union accuse Russia of massing tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine and preparing an imminent invasion of its neighboring country. Moscow denies any warlike intention towards kyiv, but calls for treaties that guarantee the non-expansion of NATO, particularly towards Ukraine.
United Kingdom and European Union
The United Kingdom announced on Monday the withdrawal of some staff from its embassy in Kiev in response to the "increasing threat" from Russia in Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said. “Some of the embassy staff” and their relatives “are withdrawing from Kiev in response to the growing threat from Russia,” the Foreign Office said, stressing that “the British embassy remains open and will continue to carry out its essential tasks.”
The head of European Union (EU) diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said on Monday that the bloc preferred not to "dramatize" and will not follow for now the US decision to withdraw the relatives of its diplomats from Ukraine.
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“We are not going to do the same because we do not know any specific reason (...) I do not think we should dramatize,” Borrell said, before a meeting of European foreign ministers, who will listen to the arguments of the head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken.
However, Borrell pointed out that perhaps during the day, Blinken will present the reasons that led Washington to adopt this decision. "Secretary Blinken may have more information and will share it with us," he said.
NATO deploys forces
The countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have strengthened the defense capacity of the eastern flank of Europe, by sending planes and ships to counteract the accumulation of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, the institution announced on Monday.
The alliance countries "are placing forces on standby and sending additional ships and combat aircraft to NATO deployments in Eastern Europe, bolstering deterrence and defense," NATO said in a statement.
“NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to protect and defend all allies, including strengthening the eastern part of the alliance,” the head of the military bloc, Jens Stoltenberg, said in the note. NATO noted that Spain "is sending ships to join NATO naval forces and is considering sending combat aircraft to Bulgaria," among other initiatives.
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"Denmark will send a frigate to the Baltic Sea and deploy four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania in support of NATO's air surveillance mission in the region," the military alliance said. He also noted that France "has expressed its willingness to send troops to Romania under the command of NATO."
Meanwhile, the Netherlands will send “two F-35 fighter jets to Bulgaria starting in April to support NATO air surveillance activities in the region, and will put a ship and ground units on standby for the Force NATO Response. The main ally, the United States, "has also made it clear that it plans to increase its military presence in the eastern part of the alliance," Stoltenberg said.
Russia accuses NATO
The Kremlin on Monday accused NATO and the United States of “exacerbating” tensions by deciding to deploy warships and warplanes to eastern Europe , in a context of fear of a Russian attack on Ukraine.
“Tensions have been exacerbated by very concrete announcements and actions by the United States and NATO,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters, referring to the deployment of Alliance forces in eastern Europe.
The official denounced the “hysteria” in Europe over accusations that have multiplied in recent weeks of an imminent Russian invasion. Peskov considered the risk of a Kiev offensive against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine “very high”, where the conflict that began in 2014 has caused more than 13,000 deaths.
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“The Ukrainian authorities concentrate a considerable number of forces and resources on the border” of the territories that they described as “republics” and warned that this situation “suggests the preparation of offensive actions”. "All this leads to a situation in which tensions increase," said the senior official, who pointed out that the existence of an "aggressive climate" in Europe is a "reality."
Russia is accused by Westerners of posting a contingent of tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border, ready to launch an invasion. Moscow denies these accusations and demands various security guarantees including a veto on Ukraine's NATO membership, a promise that the alliance will not expand further east and an end to military deployments in Eastern Europe.
Source: AFP.