<Anchor>
Today (24th) the US State Department ordered the evacuation of the families of embassy employees in Ukraine amid speculation that Russia may invade Ukraine soon. There is also a prospect that the U.S. troops will be decided within this week.
Correspondent Kim Jong-won from New York brought the news.
<Reporter>
The U.S. State Department has ordered the families of U.S. embassy employees in Ukraine to withdraw, and said that non-essential personnel who are embassy employees may leave Ukraine.
It also advised all Americans living in Ukraine to leave the country, and Russia has placed it on a travel ban.
[Tony Blincoln/Secretary of State: If necessary for security reasons, some of the (Ukraine) embassy staff will be withdrawn.]
In addition, Americans in Belarus, where the Russian military is stationed, are advised to leave the country.
However, the State Department said the Ukrainian embassy was not closed and would continue to work.
The action came shortly after the US State Department announced that Russia was planning military action against Ukraine.
After the U.S. decision, Britain also announced plans to return half of Ukrainian embassy staff.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged that the US will send additional troops to NATO allies in Eastern Europe.
[Tony Blincoln/Secretary of State: If even one Russian soldier enters Ukraine, the United States and Europe will take a swift, stern and united response.
] It is known that he was trying to avoid the plan of deploying US troops to the end of the Ukraine crisis as much as the US withdrew.
However, as the situation worsens, analysts say that they will eventually decide to send US troops this week.
(Video coverage: Lee Sang-wook, video editing: Kim Ho-jin)
▶ 130,000 Russian troops surrounding Ukraine…
The escalating confrontation, what's the story behind it?
▶ The burden of 'all-out collision' in the US and Europe...
Negotiation 'best'