On January 24 (local time), the United States government authorized the departure of the US government employees and ordered that the family members of US government employees at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine leave the country amid escalating tensions. The authorized departure gives the govt employees an option to leave the country if they want to, however, their family members must leave Ukraine.

In the official statement issued by the Department of State, it was mentioned the decision was taken due to the “continued Russian efforts to destabilize the country and undermine the security of Ukrainian citizens and others visiting or residing in Ukraine.” It further added the US State Department had elevated travel advisory for Ukraine to level four, which means the US citizens must not travel to Ukraine due to the increased threats of significant Russian military action. Earlier, the advisory was at Level 4 due to Covid-19.

The US Embassy in Ukraine would continue to function, and Kristina Kvien, in charge at the embassy, would remain in Ukraine. The department further added it was working on finding a diplomatic solution to Russia’s “troubling build-up of forces in and around Ukraine.”

Notably, the US had delivered the first of several shipments of $200 million security assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces that was approved by President Biden in December. The statement added, “While the United States continues to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, if Russia chooses escalation and massive consequences due to significant military action against Ukraine, the current unpredictable security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine could deteriorate with little notice.”

‘US govt will not be in a position to evacuate US citizens’ – President Biden

One of the significant portions of the statement was the fact that the US government clearly told its citizens that in case Russia moves ahead with the military action against Ukraine, it would not be in a position to evacuate American citizens. It said, “As President Biden has said, military action by Russia could come at any time, and the United States government will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in such a contingency, so US citizens currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly, including by availing themselves of commercial options should they choose to leave the country.”

Russia completed military build-up at Ukraine border

On January 19, it was reported that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time as it had completed military build-up at the Ukrainian border. Russia also has started reducing the number of people in ints embassy in Ukraine, giving a possible hint of invasion. Reportedly, families of Russian diplomats left Ukraine on buses in the past few days, and the diplomats are told to be prepared to leave when instructed.

The Ukrainian military report further has revealed that the Russian troops have made their permanent camps in the Central and Eastern part of the country and that it supports around 35,000 rebels in eastern Ukraine. However, Russia denied the claims and agreed to set up additional radio and satellite traffic units near the Ukrainian border and tripled the reconnaissance flights.

Russia-Ukraine conflict

Since 2014, Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, has been facing a conflict with Russian-backed separatists. These separatists are holding control of several territories in Ukraine with the help of Moscow.

In 2013, then-President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, decided to reject a deal for greater economic integration with European Union. His decision led to a series of protests and conflicts that led to a violent crackdown by the security forces. However, the administration’s decision to forcefully stop the protesters backfired and the number of protesters increased exponentially on the streets. As a result, President Yanukovych had to flee the country in February 2014.

In March 2014, Russian troops took control of the Crimean region in Ukraine. Crimea is located in the south of the Ukrainian region of Kherson. After Russia took control over the Crimean region, a local referendum was done where the Crimeans voted to join the Russian Federation. After the referendum, it was formally annexed in Russia.

In July 2014, the situation in Ukraine took the shape of an international crisis when a Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukrainian airspace. There were 298 people on board, including the staff and pilot. No one survived the incident. The incident caused tension between Russia and its western counterparts, including the United States and the European Union.

Since the conflict started, it has been alleged that Russia has been targeting Ukraine with cyber attacks. In December 2015, it was reported that around 225,000 people lost power due to a cyber attack. In December 2016, another blackout happened in Kyiv due to an alleged cyber attack.

According to United Nations, till April 2021, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has claimed over 13,000 lives since 2014. Around 24,000 people have been injured in the conflicts.

References:

opindia.com - OpIndia Staff