Washington, Feb 13 (FN Agency) The high tensions over Ukraine are the reason behind Washington’s decision to relocate most of its embassy staff from Kiev, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after talks with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Hawaii. On Saturday, the State Department said that the United States was relocating some of its diplomatic personnel from the Ukrainian capital to the city of Lviv amid security concerns. Both Canada and Australia said they were suspending embassy operations in Kiev and opening temporary offices in Lviv amid the escalation of the Ukraine crisis. “Yesterday, we ordered the departure of most of the Americans still at the US embassy in Kiev.
The risk of Russian military action is high enough and the threat is imminent enough that this is the prudent thing to do,” Blinken said at a joint press conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Saturday. He specified that a core US diplomatic team will remain in Ukraine and will continue working there with Ukrainian colleagues. US security assistance to Kiev will continue, Blinken said, reiterating Washington’s concerns over a possible Russian military attack against Ukraine.
“No one should be surprised if Russia instigates a provocation or incident which it then uses to justify military action,” Blinken claimed, also saying that a diplomatic path remains open, and urging Moscow to de-escalate. In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an “invasion.” Moscow has denied these accusations stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO’s military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory.