U.S. closes Kyiv Embassy, relocating diplomatic operations to Western Ukraine

'러 침공 임박' 예상 美, 키예프대사관 폐쇄…서부로 이전

As the geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to simmer,... U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has ordered its embassy in the Ukrainian capital to close.
He said U.S. diplomatic operations are to be relocated to the western part of Ukraine.
Blinken also stressed that further aggression by Russia would be met with a swift and forceful response.
Kim Hyo-sun reports.
Washington is closing the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and relocating its staff to Lviv in western Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the decision was made due to a dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces along the border.
He also urged any remaining Americans in Ukraine to leave immediately.
Speaking on Monday with his Ukrainian counterpart,... Blinken stressed Washington's commitment to the sovereign and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
He added that any further military aggression by Russia would be met with a swift, coordinated and forceful response.
However, he did stress that Washington's immediate priority is to support diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
This comes as the Pentagon said Moscow had strengthened its forces along the Ukrainian border over the weekend.
Elsewhere,... the European Union is preparing several responses against possible moves that could be taken by Moscow.
Quoting a EU official,... Reuters reported Monday that the 27-member bloc is seeking alternative sources of energy in case Russia cuts supplies to Europe.
It's also preparing for the arrival of refugees should Russia invade Ukraine.
Italy is mulling over whether to send up to 2-thousand troops to eastern Europe to bolster NATO's defense capability.
The details will be finalized during a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday.
Italy's foreign minister is also set to visit Ukraine and Russia,... seeking a diplomatic settlement of the crisis.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.

#AntonyBlinken #Kyiv_Embassy #Lviv

📣 Arirang News(Facebook) :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Arirang News(Twitter) :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 News Center(YouTube) :    / newscenter_arirangtv  


2022-02-15, 08:00 (KST)