Boris Johnson Believes Russia Will Attack Kyiv Despite Most Embassies Refusing to Evacuate

On January 24, the leaders of the US and Europe agreed on a common plan of action in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Russia has a plan for a lightning war on Ukrainian territory. 

Boris Johnson
UK Prime Minister

Intelligence clearly indicates that there are 60 Russian combat groups on Ukraine's borders, and a lightning war plan that could seize Kyiv is something everyone can see. We must make it clear to the Kremlin and Russia that this would be a catastrophic step. 

He noted that the situation is "rather depressing," but war is not inevitable. According to Johnson, Britain is "leading the creation of a package of economic sanctions" against Russia and is supplying Ukraine with defensive weapons. 

On January 24, the leaders of the US and Europe agreed on a common plan of action in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden held a video conference with EU leaders, the NATO Secretary General and the British prime minister. 

London said the leaders agreed that if further Russian invasion occurs, "allies must take swift responses, including an unprecedented package of sanctions." 

British officials said there were no specific threats to British diplomats, but about half of the staff working in Kyiv will return to the UK. 

The embassy's actions were described as precautionary measures, and it is believed that nothing specific happened in the last 24 hours that could have prompted Britain's decision. 

About 30 British diplomats, including the ambassador, remain in Ukraine. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the embassy in Kyiv continues to operate, but "it is important that we are ready for any situation." 

At the same time, a number of EU countries do not intend to follow the example of the US and Britain and evacuate staff from their embassies in Kyiv. 

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said the Latvian embassy in Ukraine continues to operate at full capacity and has not expressed any intention to evacuate embassy staff or their family members. 

Edgars Rinkēvičs
Latvian Foreign Minister

In line with general practice, Latvia's Foreign Ministry has all the necessary evacuation plans for the embassy, and these procedures can be initiated if necessary. We are constantly assessing the security situation and will act accordingly. 

He urged Latvian citizens not to travel to Ukraine unless necessary, and especially to the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. 

According to Yevropeiska Pravda, Denmark also does not intend to immediately follow the US example and evacuate staff from its embassy in Kyiv. A source for the publication said: "At the same time, Denmark is closely monitoring the situation and has a ready action plan if the situation becomes threatening." 

The Czech Foreign Ministry convened a working group to discuss all possible scenarios for developments around Ukraine. Ministry leadership says Prague "believes in the best but is preparing for the worst." 

Czech journalists were told that the hypothetical possibility of evacuating staff from the Czech embassy in Kyiv exists only if the security situation seriously deteriorates, and there is currently no reason for this. 

Estonia's ambassador to Ukraine said that Estonia will not evacuate embassy staff from Kyiv.