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Ukraine today considered Biden’s decision to order the departure of the families of employees at his embassy in Kyiv as a premature and excessively cautious measure and to authorize the departure of non-essential personnel in the face of the threat of military action by Russia.
In a statement, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko says Kyiv took note of the measure taken by the U.S. State Department, in which it also recommends all Americans in Ukraine to leave the country.
“Respecting the right of foreign states to ensure the security of their diplomatic missions, we consider such a measure on the American side premature and a manifestation of excessive caution,” Nikolenko said.
Ukrainian diplomacy claims that there have been no radical changes in the security situation recently, because the threat of new waves of Russian aggression has been steadily maintained since 2014, and the buildup of Russian troops near the state border began in April last year.
The Ukrainian government further indicates that the State Department’s decision does not mean that all U.S. embassy employees will now leave Ukraine.
Nikolenko further urged to be calm about the recommendations that American citizens register their travel plans on the State Department’s website.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also recommends that Ukrainians traveling abroad register in a similar system and it is a normal international practice.
The spokesman stressed that, currently, Russia is making active efforts to destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine and a great deal of misinformation, manipulation and falsifications are being spread in Ukrainian and international media to spread panic among Ukrainians and foreigners, intimidate businesses and undermine the economic and financial stability of their state.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the entire Ukrainian diplomacy insisted that they are now consolidating the unprecedentedly large support for Ukraine from international partners to deter Russia from its aggressive actions and ensure the security of Ukrainian citizens and the state.
The United States also advised its citizens not to travel to Russia in the face of the current tension with Ukraine, just after making the same recommendation for that country and ordering the families of its diplomatic staff to leave it.
