Following the United States (US) and Russia, Belgium was among the nations which asked its citizens to leave Ukraine as it warned Belgians in Ukraine that the crisis may spill out onto a full-scale invasion triggered by Russia at any moment.
“Nationals who are currently in Ukraine and whose presence is not strictly necessary in the country are strongly advised to leave the country,” the Belgian foreign ministry said while advising its citizens against travelling to Ukraine. The European Union earlier in the day asked its non-essential officials and citizens to leave Ukraine and issued similar warnings. The US reiterated its warning of an imminent Russian attack and urged US citizens to leave immediately. Russia, according to state-run news agency Ria Novosti, is also evacuating its staff from the Ukrainian embassy.
The White House earlier warned that any Russian invasion is likely to begin with an aerial bombing. “If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was quoted as saying by news agencies.
Another major development was that Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Joe Biden are scheduled to speak later today, news agency AFP reported. The French president Emmanuel Macron is also expected to join the call. US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will also speak to each other later today to discuss the Ukraine issue.
Biden, however, also readied 3,000 more troops who will reach Poland in the upcoming days as US bolsters its eastern European allies. The US will then have 5,000 military personnel, most from 82nd Airborne Division, in eastern European region ready to intervene in case the situation aggravates. “They are being deployed to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO’s eastern flank, and train with host-nation forces,” an official familiar with the development told news agency AFP. The US has more than 80,000 troops stationed in Europe.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry urged citizens to remain calm amid news of an imminent invasion. “At the moment, it is critically important to remain calm, to consolidate inside the country, to avoid destabilising actions and those that sow panic,” the ministry said in a statement.
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