The United States has said diplomatic paths remain open to ending the
standoff with Moscow over Ukraine . However, the US said the risk of Russian
military action was high, so the US pulled embassy staff out of Kyiv.
"The diplomatic road remains open. The way Moscow shows that it wants to go
down that path is simple. It should be reduced, rather than increased," US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after his meeting with counterparts
from Japan and South Korea on the US Pacific islands of Hawaii. .
Washington ordered most of its embassy staff on Saturday to leave Ukraine
immediately because of the threat of invasion. Previously, the US stated
that the Russian military, which has more than 100,000 troops assembled near
Ukraine, could strike at any time.
"We ordered the departure of most of the Americans who are still at the US
embassy in Kiev. The risk of Russian military action is high and the threat
is imminent so this is a wise thing to do," Blinken said. /2022).
Moscow, which has repeatedly denied Western accusations of a possible
invasion of Ukraine. Russia said it was responding to the aggression by its
NATO allies as "hysteria".
In an hour-long phone call on Saturday, US President Joe Biden told Russia's
Vladimir Putin that the West would respond decisively to any invasion of
Ukraine.
Biden added that such a move would result in widespread suffering and
isolate Moscow. Neither side said there was a breakthrough.
A senior Biden administration official said the call was professional and
substantive, but there were no fundamental changes.
The Kremlin said Putin told Biden that Washington had failed to consider
Russia's main concerns and had not received "substantial answers" to key
elements of its security demands.
Currently, many US allies from Europe and other countries have reduced or
evacuated staff from their missions in Kiev and have urged their citizens to
leave or avoid travel to Ukraine.
