State Dept. Encourages American Citizens to Leave Ukraine, Begins Evacuation of Embassy Staff Members' Families

What’s the story?

• The State Dept. on Sunday announced that it is ordering the departure of eligible family members of staff from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, due to Russia’s “deeply troubling” buildup of military forces around Ukraine and ongoing efforts to destabilize the country. 
• It also authorized the voluntary evacuation of U.S. direct hire employees, and encouraged American citizens in the country to consider leaving Ukraine now while commercial and other privately available transportation options are available.
• The announcement comes amid a growing threat of a renewed Russian invasion of Ukraine that could begin “at any time” and noted:

“There are reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine. 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. Demonstrations, which have turned violent at times, regularly occur throughout Ukraine, including in Kyiv. U.S. citizens in Ukraine should be aware that Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine would severely impact the U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide consular services, including assistance to U.S. citizens in departing Ukraine.”

• The Embassy in Kyiv explained that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. “will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in such a contingency, so U.S. citizens currently present should plan accordingly, including by availing themselves of commercial options should they choose to leave the country.”
• The State Dept. announcement also issued a “Do Not Travel” warning for Ukraine and explained that, in particular, American citizens should not travel to Russia-occupied Crimea, where occupation authorities “continue to abuse and arbitrarily imprison foreigners and the local population, particularly individuals who are seen as opposing Russia’s occupation of the peninsula.” The U.S. government prohibits its employees from traveling to Crimea and therefore can’t provide emergency assistance in that area.
• Additionally, the State Dept. encouraged Americans to not travel to the Donbas, a region in eastern Ukraine which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk jurisdictions and adjacent areas, where the ongoing armed conflict between Ukraine and separatists backed by the Russian military has resulted in over 14,000 deaths since 2014. The State Dept. notes that individuals including American citizens have been threatened, detained, or kidnapped for hours or days in the area after being stopped at checkpoints controlled by Russian-led forces. State Dept. employees are also barred from traveling to these areas.
• American citizens who are in Ukraine are being asked by the State Dept. to fill out an online form so that they can better communicate with you, and completing this form “is especially important if you plan to remain in Ukraine.” The form can be found here.
• In a statement, U.S. Embassy Kyiv noted that these departures are being done “out of an abundance of caution” and “will in no way impact our commitment to finding a diplomatic solution” to Russia’s military buildup. It added, “The United States’ steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remains stronger than ever”.
• It’s unclear precisely how many Americans are in Ukraine, although some estimates put the number at up to 30,000 when accounting for dual citizens and embassy staff. The U.S. government doesn’t formally track its citizens’ presence overseas, as was made evident during the evacuation from Kabul, Afghanistan, when the Biden administration repeatedly understated the number of Americans who were stuck in the country following the Taliban’s takeover and unable to make it to the airport during the military evacuation.  
• A spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement which said, “While we respect the right of foreign nations to ensure safety and security of their diplomatic missions, we believe such a step to be a premature one and an instance of excessive caution.” He noted that only the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany have removed their diplomatic staffers’ family members, while 125 other diplomatic missions including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), United Nations (UN), and European Union (EU) haven’t taken that step.

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• U.S. Intel Warns Russia is Prepping ‘False Flag’ Operation as Pretext for Invading Ukraine (1/15/22)
• Biden Tells Ukrainian President the U.S. ‘Will Respond Decisively’ if Russia Invades Further (1/3/22)
• U.S. & NATO Urge Russia to Pull Back From its Military Buildup on Ukraine’s Border (12/3/21)
• Biden Admin Freezes Sale of Lethal Arms to Ukraine Amid Russian Military Buildup (6/18/21)

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Kholodovsky via Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)