US justifies Ukraine embassy drawdown amid Russia tensions: Live | Ukraine-Russia crisis News
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Blinken: A diplomatic solution is still possible, but the risk of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine is high.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the risk of Russian military action in Ukraine is high enough to justify the departure of much of the staff at the US embassy in Kyiv, but said a diplomatic solution to the crisis is still possible.
“The diplomatic path remains open. The way for Moscow to show that it wants to pursue that path is simple. It should de-escalate rather than escalate, ”Blinken said on Sunday.
A one-hour phone call on Saturday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden ended with no breakthrough.
The White House insists Moscow faces “swift and severe costs” if it pushes ahead with aggression, while the Kremlin has denounced the US’s “peak hysteria” over the Ukraine conflict and has denied it has plans to invade.
Meanwhile, the Australian government temporarily suspended operations at its Kyiv embassy on Sunday as fears of a Russian invasion rise.
Hello, and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis. I am Virginia Pietromarchi with the latest updates.
Australia suspends operations at Ukraine embassy
The Australian government has temporarily suspended operations at its Kyiv embassy as fears of a Russian invasion rise.
“Given the deteriorating security situation caused by the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border, the Government has directed the departure of staff at the Australian Embassy in Kyiv and temporarily suspended operations at our Embassy in Kyiv,” Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a Sunday statement.
Payne said that the embassy’s operations would be temporarily moved to the Ukrainian city of Lviv, located further west, near the border with Poland.
US: The ‘diplomatic path remains open’
Blinken has reiterated that a diplomatic solution remained possible, Moscow de-escalates.
“The diplomatic path remains open. The way for Moscow to show that it wants to pursue that path is simple. It should de-escalate, rather than escalate, ”Blinken said.
Blinken says embassy drawdown prudent given risk of Russian invasion
The US Secretary of State says the risk of Russian military action in Ukraine is high enough to justify the departure of much of the staff at the US embassy in Kyiv, which the State Department announced on Saturday.
“We ordered the departure of most of the Americans still at the US embassy in Kyiv. The risk of Russian military action is high enough and the threat is imminent enough that this is the prudent thing to do, ”Blinken told a news conference in Honolulu.
Most embassy staff were ordered to leave Ukraine immediately, with the department saying it appeared increasingly likely that the situation is headed towards “some kind of active conflict”.
You can see updates from Saturday, February 12 here.
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