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Ukraine tensions: Joe Biden says US citizens should depart Ukraine now

Servicemen of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces attend military drills in Zhytomyr Region, Ukraine November 21, 2021. Press service of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces Command/Handout via REUTERS

US President Joe Biden has referred to as on all American residents ultimate in Ukraine to depart the u . S . A . Right away, bringing up expanded threats of Russian military motion.

Mr Biden said he would not ship troops to rescue Americans if Moscow invades Ukraine.

Several other nations, including the UK, additionally urged their citizens to leave.

Russia has again and again denied any plans to invade Ukraine notwithstanding massing greater than a hundred,000 troops close to the border.

But it has just began big army drills with neighbouring Belarus, and Ukraine has accused Russia of blocking off its get right of entry to to the ocean.

The Kremlin says it desires to implement “pink strains” to make certain that its former Soviet neighbour does no longer be part of Nato.

“American citizens must depart now,” Mr Biden instructed NBC News.

“We’re handling one among the biggest armies within the international. It’s a completely distinctive state of affairs and things could pass crazy fast.”

Asked whether there was a situation that would activate him to ship troops to rescue fleeing Americans, Mr Biden replied: “There’s not. That’s a international struggle while Americans and Russia start shooting at one another. We’re in a very unique world than we have ever been.”

A host of different international locations, consisting of the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea have additionally advised their residents to go away Ukraine. In its caution Latvia stated “a severe hazard to safety posed through Russia”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a go to to Australia, stated on Friday that “an invasion could start at any time, and to be clean, that includes at some point of the Olympics”. The Winter Olympics in China are scheduled to give up on 20 February.

Diplomatic efforts are under way to defuse the modern-day crisis over Ukraine.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned his counterpart in Moscow that a Russian invasion of Ukraine might have “tragic consequences” for both nations. But Sergei Shogiu said developing navy tensions in Europe have been “not our fault”.

The current tensions come eight years after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Crimea peninsula. Since then, Ukraine’s navy has been locked in a conflict with Russian-sponsored rebels in jap areas close to Russia’s borders.

Meanwhile, Ukraine accused Russia of blockading its get entry to to the sea as Russia organized for naval sporting events.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated the Sea of Azov were completely blocked and the Black Sea nearly completely reduce off via Russian forces.

Russia’s naval physical activities were due to take vicinity next week within the two seas to the south of Ukraine, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

However, Ukraine’s Border Guard Service stated on Friday that Russia had told them it had cancelled its drill in the Sea of Azov, an internal sea bordered through each Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine’s port authority later said restrictions there have been lifted.

Russian naval drills were already taking location in Crimea on Friday, while 10 days of navy sporting events endured in Belarus, to the north of Ukraine.

There are fears that if Russia attempts to invade Ukraine, the sports placed the Russian military close to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, making an assault at the metropolis less complicated. Russia says its troops will return to their permanent bases after the drills stop.

Ukraine has launched its own 10-day military sporting events, even though officials have given few information.