The remaining US embassy personnel are due to leave Kiev and settle in Lviv in western Ukraine, about 70 kilometers from the Polish border. This was announced by US Secretary of State Blinken today. According to Blinken, there is a “significant acceleration of the mobilization of Russian forces.”

A lot of US embassy employees have already left the country, only essential personnel are left in Ukraine. America is seriously considering that Russia will invade Ukraine one day. According to the United States, this move will not affect relations with Ukraine.

From Lviv, Americans will keep in touch with the Ukrainian government, Blinken says in the current situation: “These reasonable precautions in no way undermine our support for Ukraine. Our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unerring.”

Unity Day

Ukrainian President Zelensky is less convinced of an imminent invasion of his country. And he spoke in a speech jokingly about February 16, next Wednesday, when Russia, according to US intelligence, plans to start a ground invasion. Zelensky believes that the United States is adding fuel to the fire by saying so firmly close invasion†

In a sarcastic response, he said he would declare Wednesday the country’s “Unity Day”: “We hang national flags, wear blue and yellow ribbons, and show the world our unity.”