The State Department Friday directed most staff who remain in the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave Ukraine immediately on worries Moscow could act soon.
as the White House warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent.
The State Department had earlier ordered families of U.S. Embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave, but it had left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart. “The secretary made this decision out of an abundance of caution – with the safety and security of our personnel foremost in mind – and informed by the State Department’s guidance on U.S. personnel in Ukraine,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
Earlier Saturday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu to discuss Russia's military build-up, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.Why is Vladimir Putin threatening Ukraine? Respect, fear, power at play in Russian leader's motivations