China News Service, February 12 (Xinhua) According to a comprehensive report, the United States said on the 11th that Russia could "invade" Ukraine at any time. Eight countries including the United States, Japan and Australia have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine.
Ukraine urged its citizens to remain calm and avoid panic amid rising tensions.
A woman walks past the U.S. embassy in Ukraine on January 24, 2022, in Kiev, Ukraine.
"At the moment, it is crucial to maintain calm, consolidate the situation in the country and avoid destabilizing and panic-seeking actions," Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement.
US Secretary of State Blinken said on the 11th that Russia is sending more troops to the Russian-Ukrainian border and may "invade" Ukraine at any time.
Blinken also said the U.S. was evacuating some U.S. embassy personnel in Ukraine.
He also called on U.S. citizens still in Ukraine to leave immediately.
U.S. President Joe Biden also urged U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine immediately.
Subsequently, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, the Netherlands and other countries urged their citizens to leave Ukraine immediately.
The Ukrainian government is concerned that the so-called threat of a "Russian invasion of Ukraine" by the United States will hit Ukrainian business activity, damage public morale and affect the country's already struggling economy.
In fact, Ukraine has been trying to temper Washington's "aggression" narrative during the crisis.
Recently, relations between Ukraine and Russia have deteriorated rapidly, with the two sides deploying a large number of military personnel and equipment in the border areas.
The US and NATO claim that Russia intends to "invade".
Russia has repeatedly denied it and stressed that NATO's activities threaten Russia's border security.