US Department Issues Warning To Diplomats To Leave Ukraine As Troop Deployment Beckons

The United States Department has reportedly ordered diplomats and their families to start packing up and leave Ukraine due to fears that Russia could be invading the region soon.

The order is said to be voluntary for diplomats currently situated in Ukraine with the growing belief that the US will boost military assets to counter the buildup of military troops, Reuters reported.

"Military action by Russia could come at any time," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. Officials "will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in such a contingency, so U.S. citizens currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly."

Despite the call, the Ukrainian foreign ministry branded the call as premature and deemed it excessive caution.

"In fact, there have been no cardinal 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 near the state border began in April last year,” a statement from the foreign ministry read.

Tensions have been rising over in Ukraine with some 100,000 troops deployed by the Kremlin seen near the borders of the country.

The Kremlin has denied plans of invading the region but the Russian military already tore off a chunk of Ukrainian territory when it seized Crimea and backed separatist forces who took control of large parts of eastern Ukraine eight years ago.

The US president, believed to be considering the deployment of 50,000 personnel to Ukraine, drew backlash for the pullout of embassy personnel. The US is believed to be in the final stages of identifying which military units to send to Eastern Europe to deter Russia and is preparing orders should they decide to deploy troops, CNN reported.

Biden is reportedly set to speak with Transatlantic Allies and partners on Monday (Jan. 24) afternoon to discuss his plan regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict, per the White House updated version of Biden’s schedule.

“We have taken note of [the State Department]'s decision re departure of family members of [US Embassy in Kyiv] staff,” Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko stated. “While we respect right (sic) of foreign nations to ensure safety & security of foreign nations to ensure safety & security of their diplomatic missions, we believe such a step to be a premature one & an instance of excessive caution.”