Washington prepares to withdraw its diplomats from Ukraine
The American CBS network reports that the Biden administration is preparing to withdraw all American diplomats from Kyiv, and the Japanese FM asks all Japanese in Ukraine to leave.
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Washington prepares to withdraw its diplomats from Ukraine.
The United States of America plans to withdraw all its remaining diplomats in Kyiv within a day or two at the latest, according to American media.
The US CBS network reported, today, on Monday, that the administration of US President Joe Biden is preparing to withdraw all US diplomats from Kyiv within the next 24-48 hours.
The US State Department said last Saturday that the United States will move some of its diplomatic staff from the Ukrainian capital to the city of Lviv, amid security concerns.
The Department has also urged its citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible, and Poland has agreed to help Americans leave Kyiv by simplifying entry procedures, according to the US Embassy in Ukraine.
Blinken added that a US diplomatic team will remain in Ukraine to continue working there with Ukrainian colleagues.
Japanese Embassy in Ukraine announces departure of employees
In a similar move, the Japanese Embassy in Kyiv announced that most of its staff will leave Ukraine following Moscow's military buildup near the border between the two countries.
Japan advised its citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately and told them in an email sent by the Embassy that its job would be more limited from today as "a small number" of employees will remain in the country.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters last Saturday that he had asked the Japanese in Ukraine to evacuate "immediately and in the safest way possible."
The number of the Embassy staff who will remain in the country is expected to drop to less than ten, including the Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda, a Japanese government official announced in Tokyo.
The West, led by the United States, accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of planning an attack in Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics on February 20.
On its part, Russia repeatedly denied these allegations and accused Western countries of spreading lies to divert attention from their aggressive actions.
