DETROIT (WWJ) — During a phone conversation Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said a Russian invasion of Ukraine would “result in a resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response.”
Russia has already sent 130,000 troops to the Ukrainian border. President Vladimir Putin has argued that Ukraine is part of Russia and is against it joining The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an alliance formed to counter the Soviet Union.
According to the New York Times, Putin’s complaints about NATO have increased as he has strengthened the Russian military. In December, Putin demanded that the U.S. and its allies halt all military activity in Eastern Europe and Central Asia as part of a proposal with a series of other demands that was immediately dismissed by NATO officials.
As a buildup of troops near Ukraine has continued, NATO has threatened military deployment. World leaders have engaged in international visits — including a meeting between President Emmanuel Macron of NATO ally France and Putin — to avoid a standoff.
The U.S. believes Russia plans to fabricate a pretext for invading Ukraine. Blinken said Friday that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time.
In addition to speaking with Lavrov Saturday, Blinken also briefed New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta on the current situation on Ukraine’s borders, “and the two discussed their shared commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
President Joe Biden said American citizens should leave Ukraine Thursday during an interview with NBC News. A travel advisory updated Saturday told Americans “do not travel” to Ukraine due to Russian military operations and COVID-19. It said the Department of State ordered the departure of most U.S. direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv.
“As of Sunday, February 13, 2022, the Department of State will suspend consular services at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv,” said the advisory. “The Embassy will maintain a small consular presence in Lviv, Ukraine to handle emergencies, but will not be able to provide passport, visa or routine consular services.”
U.S. citizens may seek these services at U.S. Embassies in neighboring countries, said the State Department. An online form is also available for those in need.
“The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice,” said the department.
“Demonstrations, which have turned violent at times, regularly occur throughout Ukraine, including in Kyiv.”
The advisory also warned Americans in Ukraine that the U.S.
government will not be able to evacuate them in the event of Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine.
U.S. and Polish officials were scouting places to establish border control points to assist Americans coming out of Ukraine Saturday, according to two defense officials. Other countries, including Spain and Turkey, have told their citizens to leave Ukraine and or avoid traveling there.
Biden is expected to speak with Putin Saturday, according to CNN.
While a Saturday press release from Blinken Spokesperson Ned Price said a “diplomatic path to resolving the crisis,” remains open, that “would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions.”
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