The US embassy in Ukraine calls for the evacuation of its employees amid fears of a war | Ukraine

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The US Embassy in Ukraine has requested the evacuation of all non-essential staff amid growing fears of an imminent Russian invasion and the arrival of arms shipments promised by President Joe Biden overnight, according to a CNN report.

The US television network, citing a source close to the Ukrainian government, said US evacuations were likely to begin “as soon as next week.” This indicates the embassy’s shift in focus toward “helping Ukraine strengthen its defenses in the face of increasing Russian aggression.”

The embassy in Kiev also said on Twitter that the first batch of new US aid had arrived in Ukraine, which includes weapons described as “200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for Ukraine’s front-line defenders”.

It comes on the heels of Biden’s assertion Wednesday in a speech at the White House that he now expects Russian President Vladimir Putin to “move in” and invade Ukraine, in an act that would mean the return of large-scale war to the European continent for the first time in a generation.

“I think it’s going to move,” Biden said in response to questions about whether the invasion was coming. “He has to do something.”

The first shipment of aid that President Biden recently directed to Ukraine arrived in Ukraine tonight. This shipment includes approximately 200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for Ukraine’s front-line defenders. [1/2] pic.twitter.com/YeYanK0Px6

– US Embassy in Kiev (@USEmbassyKyiv) January 22, 2022

It was also reported on Saturday that political advisors from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany will hold “Normandy Shape” talks on eastern Ukraine in Paris on January 25. Reuters attributed the development to a source in Putin’s administration.

Mykhailo Podolak, an adviser to Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Andrei Yermak, confirmed that a meeting had been planned in Paris, but told Reuters that an initial date had been set for January 26.

US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, held talks with Russian diplomats in Switzerland on Friday in an attempt to avoid conflict, with Blinkin and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, setting a conciliatory tone and the diplomatic process is continuing.

“We didn’t expect any breakthroughs today,” Blinken said after the meeting. “But I think we are now on a clearer path in terms of understanding each other’s concerns.”

The defense ministers of Britain and Russia will meet after Russian Sergei Shoigu accepted an invitation from Britain’s Ben Wallace to discuss joint security. They will meet in Moscow.

The foreign minister has been clear that he will explore all avenues to stabilize and resolve the Ukraine crisis. “We are in contact with the Russian government,” a senior British defense source told PA Media.

It comes after Downing Street warned that Russia would be “punished” if the country went ahead with any “destabilizing action” in Ukraine, where an estimated 100,000 Russian troops are sitting on Ukraine’s border.

Number 10 said that if Putin launched an attack, there would be a “comprehensive package of measures” launched by the Western allies against the Kremlin.

But Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, called for advance action, saying the UK must be prepared to support Ukraine financially so that it is ready for invasion.

Tugendhat told the BBC. “If you take hundreds of thousands of people out of the workforce in order to protect themselves, they will have a real impact on jobs and lives in other sectors.”

Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Committee for the Defense of the Commons, echoed fears of imminent military hostility and said he believed a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be “imminent”.

Putin takes full advantage of the weakness of the West. “We are risk averse, and are somewhat shy,” he told the BBC. “Putin’s ultimatum asking for NATO to back down, of course he was dismissed but this gave him the excuse to say that there was an aggressor and that he should act.”

“We see formations of troops ready to fight. He actually cornered himself because a lot of effort was put into this,” Elwood added. He also understands that he will never be that strong again to take advantage of the weakness of the West. I suspect an invasion is imminent now.” .

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