US diplomats tell families to flee Ukraine, Reuters examines troop options

By David Shepardson and Paul Sandle

WASHINGTON / LONDON (Reuters) – The US State Department announced on Sunday that it had ordered relatives of diplomats to leave Ukraine as US President Joe Biden looked into ways to strengthen American assets in Eastern Europe to deal with the build-up of Russian troops.

The order, which also allowed U.S. diplomats at the Ukrainian capital’s embassy to leave voluntarily, was one of the clearest signs that U.S. officials were fighting the Russian offensive in the region.

“Russia’s military action could come at any time,” the US embassy said in a statement. in a. Officials “will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in this situation, so US citizens in Ukraine today should plan accordingly,” he added.

Tensions in Ukraine have been rising for months after the Kremlin deployed about 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, the West says, preparing for war to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO’s Western security alliance.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied plans to invade, but the Russian military has violated part of Ukraine’s territory by taking over Crimea and backing separatist forces that took control of large parts of eastern Ukraine eight years ago.

The State Department announced that the British authorities had information that the Russian government was examining a former Ukrainian parliamentarian and a day has passed https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-accuses-kremlin-trying-install-pro-russian -leader-ukraine-2022-01-22 As a potential candidate to lead the pro-Russian leadership in Kyiv.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has dismissed Britain’s accusation as “misinformation” and accused NATO of “increasing tensions” over Ukraine.

TROOPS AND PENALTIES

Biden has begun exploring options for promoting military assets in the Americas region, administration officials said after meeting with senior national security aides at a retreat at Camp David on Saturday.

The New York Times reported that Biden was considering plans to send 1,000 to 5,000 troops to Eastern European countries, with the possibility of increasing the number if tensions escalated further.

A senior administration official declined to confirm the numbers on Sunday, but said “we are developing plans and consulting with allies to determine opportunities for progress.”

The United States has sent military aid to Ukraine, but has so far been reluctant to send American troops.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blink has rejected calls for immediate economic sanctions on Russia, saying that doing so on Sunday would reduce the West’s ability to prevent a possible Russian attack on Ukraine.

Blink was scheduled to meet with members of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday.

Discussing the deployment of U.S. troops, a senior administration official said that US economic sanctions on Russia would have serious consequences if it were to enter Ukraine.

The US would use the Foreign Direct Products Regulation to export to Russia to restrict the export of products including microelectronics based on US equipment, software or technology.

The UK has also imposed harsh sanctions, with UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab telling the UK Sky News that “the consequences would be very serious if Russia were to try to invade this movement”.

According to British officials, the Russian government is considering Yevhen Murayev, a former Ukrainian parliamentarian, as a potential candidate for a pro-Russian government in Kiev.

Murayev threw cold water on that idea.

“I have already read this conspiracy theory in every news release this morning: completely unproven, completely baseless,” Murayev told Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/ukraina-politician-mocks- stupid-uk-claims. -he-could-lead-kremlin-puppet-2022-01-23 In a video call, he added that he was considering legal action.

He denied having any contact with Russian intelligence officials and ruled that he could join the Kremlin as “stupid” because he was put under Russian scrutiny in 2018.

Although Ukraine says it wants to be independent from Russia and the West, Murayev https://www.reuters.com/world/who-is-yevhen-murayev-named-by-britain-kremlins-pick-lead- ukraine-2022-01- 23, 45, The Kremlin has promoted a number of opinions that are consistent with its accounts of Ukraine.

The British Foreign Office refused to provide evidence to support its allegations.

In a message to Reuters, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said there was doubt among Ukrainians whether Murayev was “too ridiculous” to allow the Kremlin to lead Ukraine.

But Russia backed the first small figures in the annexation of Crimea and the separatist-occupied eastern Ukraine, he added.

That’s why “this information needs to be taken as seriously as possible,” he said.