THE United States has announced it will “temporarily” relocate its Ukranian embassy due to a “dramatic escalation” in the number of Russian troops on the border.
Secretary of State Antony J Blinken confirmed the 340-mile (544km) move in a press release on Monday evening around an hour after President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the tensions.
The two leaders agreed there is still hope and a chance for diplomacy, but shortly afterwards Blinken announced what he described as “prudent precautions”.
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Blinken said he and his team “constantly review the security situation to determine when prudence dictates a change in posture”.
He added: “With that in mind, we are in the process of temporarily relocating our Embassy operations in Ukraine from our Embassy in Kyiv to Lviv due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.
“The Embassy will remain engaged with the Ukrainian government, coordinating diplomatic engagement in Ukraine. We are also continuing our intensive diplomatic efforts to deescalate the crisis.”
Kyiv, the capital and most populous city of Ukraine, sits near to the border of Belarus and Russia in the north of the country, while Lviv, which is the seventh largest city in the country, sits further to the west and the border with Poland.
Blinken announced the embassy move to Lviv on Monday evening
He added: “These prudent precautions in no way undermine our support for or our commitment to Ukraine. Our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.
“We also continue our sincere efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, and we remain engaged with the Russian government following President Biden’s call with President Putin and my discussion with Foreign Minister Lavrov.
“The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage in good faith. We look forward to returning our staff to the Embassy as soon as conditions permit.”
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Blinken reiterated that the move was for one reason - staff safety - and urged US citizen in Ukraine to leave the country immediately.
It comes as Johnson and Biden agreed there remains a “crucial window for diplomacy and for Russia to step back from its threats towards Ukraine” in a call on Monday evening, No 10 said.
In a readout of the conversation, a Downing Street spokesperson said the two also reiterated the need for European countries to reduce their dependence on Russian gas “a move which, more than any other, would strike at the heart of Russia’s strategic interests”.
Johnson and Biden spoke around an hour before the announcement
The spokesperson added: “The Prime Minister and President Biden updated one another on their recent discussions with fellow world leaders. They agreed there remained a crucial window for diplomacy and for Russia to step back from its threats towards Ukraine.
“The leaders emphasised that any further incursion into Ukraine would result in a protracted crisis for Russia, with far reaching damage for both Russia and the world.
“They agreed that western allies must remain united in the face of Russian threats, including imposing a significant package of sanctions should Russian aggression escalate.”
They added: “The Prime Minister and President Biden agreed to remain in close contact as the situation evolves.”
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