Ukraine: the United States moves its embassy from Kiev to Lviv
The staff of the embassy in Kiev had already been reduced to its minimum when the United States ordered the departure of most of its diplomats this weekend and ended consular services in the Ukrainian capital.
REUTERS - GLEB GARANICH
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Faced with the acceleration of the deployment of Russian troops, which made the United States fear an imminent invasion, Washington closed its embassy in Kiev and moved it further west of the country.
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With our correspondent in Washington,
Guillaume Naudin
The United States has decided to "
temporarily relocate
" its embassy in Ukraine to the west of the country, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken announced in a statement on Monday.
There were already not many people at the American embassy in Kiev since the State Department announced this weekend the
suspension of consular services
.
From now on, the building is downright closed and the American flag has disappeared.
The few remaining diplomats are therefore displaced.
Direction Lviv, near the border with Poland.
►Also listen: In eastern Ukraine, the exhaustion of the inhabitants of Donetsk
The explanation is the acceleration of the deployment of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine and also on the territory of Belarus which is in the immediate vicinity of the Ukrainian capital.
The diplomatic channel still open
In his statement, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken explains that his administration is above all concerned with the safety of its personnel, but that this move could be reversed as soon as the situation allows it.
He again strongly urges any US nationals still in Ukraine to leave the country immediately.
It also indicates that Washington will continue its “
sincere efforts for a diplomatic solution
”.
“
The diplomatic channel remains open if Russia decides to dialogue in good faith
,” he insisted.
The US administration says a Russian invasion of Ukraine could take place as early as this week, although the Pentagon does not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a decision.
Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky
explains to him that the countries which close their embassies in Kiev are making a mistake because for him, there is no western Ukraine, there is only Ukraine.
►
To read also: Ukrainian crisis: "winning the war before the war", the Russian strategy
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United States
Diplomacy
Ukraine
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