US, UK and Australia Pull Some Embassy Staff from Ukraine. EU Sees No Need to Do So

The Office of the President suggested that the evacuation of staff has a more systemic and political character, while Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the decision premature.

The State Department ordered the families of American diplomats to leave and allowed government employees to depart the US Embassy in Kyiv, while the UK is withdrawing some embassy staff in Kyiv due to the threat of a new Russian invasion.

The European Union, for its part, sees no reason to evacuate the families of European diplomats from Ukraine, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

The Office of the President of Ukraine suggested that the evacuation of family members and some embassy staff in Kyiv is caused not so much by the growing threat of a Russian invasion as by the logic of the internal political situation in the US.

US

The US State Department ordered the families of American diplomats to leave and allowed government employees to depart the US Embassy in Kyiv. This was stated in a message from the US Embassy in Ukraine.

Government employees may leave voluntarily, and their departure is not mandatory. Family members must leave. The status of this order will be reviewed no earlier than 30 days from now.

It is noted that this decision was made as a "special caution" due to "Russia's ongoing efforts to destabilize the country and undermine the security of citizens and others visiting or living in Ukraine".

As for US citizens, the role of the State Department is to inform them about developments in the security situation, which may include information on commercial departure options.

The embassy recalled that US President Joe Biden said Russian military action could begin at any moment, and that the US government would not be able to evacuate American citizens in such an unpredictable situation. Therefore, US citizens must plan commercial departure options on their own if they decide to leave the country.

The embassy noted that it is up to Russia which path the situation will take: dialogue and diplomacy, or escalation and "massive consequences". If Russia chooses the second option, the situation along the borders in occupied Crimea or part of Donbas "may deteriorate without warning".

At the same time, it assured that US support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity remains stronger than ever, as demonstrated by the start of delivering additional military assistance worth $200 million.

The embassy also said it is ready for a sharp increase in demand for consular services, and that in recent months it has prioritized processing American passports and immigrant visas, including adoption cases.

UK and Australia

Due to the threat of a new Russian invasion, the UK is withdrawing some embassy staff in Kyiv. This was reported on the website of the British government.

"Some embassy staff and their family members are being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to the growing threat from Russia," the message said.

At the same time, the embassy assured that it remains open and will continue its important work, in particular providing consular assistance and support to British citizens in Ukraine.

Australia, a member of the British Commonwealth, has ordered family members of its embassy in Kyiv to leave Ukraine. It also recommends that its citizens leave. The information was published on the website of the Australian government.

European Union

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said he sees no reason to evacuate the families of European diplomats from Ukraine.

"We do not plan to do the same as the US, because we do not see any specific reasons for it," Borrell said.

He added: "While negotiations (with Russia — ed.) are ongoing, I do not think we have reasons to leave Ukraine." He called on people "not to dramatize" events around Ukraine.

Official Kyiv

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had taken note of the US State Department's decision on the departure of family members of American embassy staff in Kyiv, as well as the provision of an opportunity for some staff to leave on a voluntary basis.

Oleg Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented that there have been no fundamental changes in the security situation around Ukraine recently, so this decision is rather a "manifestation of excessive caution".

Oleg Nikolenko
spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

In fact, there have been no fundamental changes in the security situation recently: the threat of new waves of Russian aggression has remained constant since 2014, and the buildup of Russian troops at the state border began as early as April last year. The US State Department's decision does not mean that all American embassy staff will now leave Ukraine. The embassy will continue to operate fully. Members of the diplomatic mission have been given the opportunity to leave if they wish. However, their departure is by no means mandatory. We call on US citizens to treat the recommendations calmly and to register their travel plans on the State Department website.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized: "The Russian Federation is now making active efforts to destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine. A large amount of disinformation, manipulation and fakes is being spread in the Ukrainian and international media space to sow panic among Ukrainians and foreigners, frighten business, and undermine the economic and financial stability of our state."

"In this situation, it is important to assess risks soberly and remain calm," Oleg Nikolenko urged.

Oleg Nikolenko
spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The President of Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and all Ukrainian diplomacy are now consolidating unprecedentedly high support for Ukraine from international partners to deter Russia from its aggressive actions and ensure the security of Ukrainian citizens and the state. In this context, we are especially grateful to the US government for its proactive diplomatic stance and for strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, in particular by providing the latest weapons and equipment.

The Office of the President suggested that the evacuation of family members and some embassy staff in Kyiv is caused not so much by the growing threat of a Russian invasion as by the logic of the internal political situation in the US.

Adviser to the head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak said that if the US State Department had not done this, it would have faced criticism at home.

Podolyak noted that if the US constantly talks about risks of a worsening security situation, it would be strange not to care about the family members of embassy staff.

At the same time, he believes that "specific internal administrative decisions of partner governments should not be turned into any 'alarm signals'. The US decision does not introduce serious changes to the work of American diplomatic missions, and 'the level of interaction and effectiveness will remain unchanged,' Podolyak said.

He also considers it likely that the decision on evacuation may be revised as early as February.