US Moving its embassy to Lviv from Kyiv: State Department spokesman Ned Price said the decision to relocate was aimed at protecting American citizens and colleagues.
Rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine led many US embassy officials to leave Kiev with their families late last month. In the wake of the threat of a Russian attack, Biden had instructed his officials and citizens to leave Ukraine. The United States has decided to move its embassy from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
The United States has decided to temporarily relocate its embassy from Kiev to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said that Washington decided to move its embassy in response to the possibility of a Russian attack.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the decision to relocate was aimed at protecting American citizens and colleagues. The United States has said in a statement that the US embassy would remain in touch with the Ukrainian government and that political activities in Ukraine would continue.
'US embassy will not be closed in difficult times'
This is a precautionary measure and will not diminish our commitment and support for Ukraine. "We remain committed to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.
Lviv is a city on the western border of Ukraine, connecting Poland. The US Consulate in Lviv is already operational.
Just last week, US State Department officials dismissed rumors that the US embassies in Lviv and Kiev were on the verge of closing.
Biden warns Putin:
US President Joe Biden had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday. Biden once again called on Putin to withdraw more than a million troops from the Ukrainian border. Biden also warned that if Russia invaded Ukraine, it would receive a response from the United States and its allies, and that Russia would have to pay a heavy price. The two leaders held talks for about 62 minutes.
Ukraine calls on citizens to exercise restraint
The United States has already warned Ukraine of a possible Russian attack. However, the Ukrainian president has denied the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating "Similar, baseless allegations concerning Ukraine's intelligence have been made more than once. The United States has said it will increase its military presence in Ukraine near the border with Ukraine. The United States has said more than 1.30 million Russian troops have been deployed along Ukraine's border. However, amid Russian military siege on all three sides, Ukrainian leaders have called on civilians to exercise restraint.