Reporter Asks State Dept Spox if Moving Embassy is Just a Way to ‘Pretend’ U.S. Still Has Presence in Ukraine As Russian Threatens
A reporter asked State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Monday whether the U.S. embassy in Ukraine temporarily moving from the capital of Kyiv to Lviv is a way for the United States to “pretend” that it still has a presence in Ukraine amid the threat from Russia to invade the Eastern European country.
On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the temporary location of the embassy from Kyiv to Lviv, which is in western Ukraine:
I have no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans around the world, and that, of course, includes our colleagues serving at our posts overseas. My team and I constantly review the security situation to determine when prudence dictates a change in posture. With that in mind, we are in the process of temporarily relocating our Embassy operations in Ukraine from our Embassy in Kyiv to Lviv due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces. The Embassy will remain engaged with the Ukrainian government, coordinating diplomatic engagement in Ukraine. We are also continuing our intensive diplomatic efforts to deescalate the crisis.
These prudent precautions in no way undermine our support for or our commitment to Ukraine. Our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering. We also continue our sincere efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, and we remain engaged with the Russian government following President Biden’s call with President Putin and my discussion with Foreign Minister Lavrov. The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage in good faith. We look forward to returning our staff to the Embassy as soon as conditions permit.
During Monday’s State Department press briefing, Los Angeles Times foreign affairs correspondent Tracy Wilkinson asked Price, “Can you say for the record why Lviv is really that much safer for American diplomats than Kyiv given the multipronged, overwhelming invasion that so many of you are forecasting? Is it a way to just sort of pretend that you still have a presence in the country?”
“No. It’s a matter of geography,” replied Price. “And Lviv’s location, of course, affords it a degree of protection that other places in Ukraine may not have. The buildup of forces on Ukraine’s eastern borders. The buildup of forces along its northern border with Belarus. Of course, that has implications for large swaths of Ukraine, including Kyiv. We have made the determination to move our operations to Lviv out of consideration for the safety and security of our personnel on the ground.”
As many as 100,000 Russian troops are stationed along the Russia-Ukraine border, while as many as 30,000 Russian troops are stationed along the Belarus-Ukraine border. Reportedly, Russia has decided it will invade Ukraine and could do so as early as this week.
In a speech on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lamented the decision of some countries to shutter or relocate their diplomatic presence in Ukraine amid the Russian threat.
“The big mistake is some embassies — well, it’s their decision — move to Western Ukraine because there is no Western Ukraine. There is Ukraine,” he said. “So if, God forbid, something happens, it will be everywhere. It’s impossible to be 5-6 hours away from escalation or problems.”
Zelensky: “The big mistake is some embassies — well, it’s their decision — move to Western Ukraine because there is no Western Ukraine. There is Ukraine. So if, God forbid, something happens, it will be everywhere. It’s impossible to be 5-6 hrs away from escalation or problems.”
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 14, 2022
Watch above, via CSPAN.
