The US State Department on Monday urged US citizens to leave Belarus immediately amid the tensions with Russia.
The State Department upgraded its advisory to Level 4: Do Not Travel.
“Do not Travel to Belarus due to the arbitrary enforcement of laws, the risk of detention, unusual and concerning Russian military buildup along Belarus’ border with Ukraine, COVID-19 and related entry restrictions,” the warning reads.
“US citizens in Belarus should depart immediately via commercial or private means,” it adds.
The warning came hours after CBS News reported that several Russian military units have left their assembly areas near the Ukrainian border and are moving to attack positions.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US embassy in Ukraine will be relocated from the capital of Kyiv of the city of Lviv, which is in the western part of the nation and far from the border with Russia.
"The Embassy will remain engaged with the Ukrainian government, coordinating diplomatic engagement in Ukraine," Blinken added. "We are also continuing our intensive diplomatic efforts to deescalate the crisis."
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have mounted in recent weeks, after Russia amassed tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine.
On Friday, Blinken warned that Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine at any time, including during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday warned that the United States believes Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine this week, but is still holding out hope diplomacy can prevail.
"We cannot perfectly predict the day, but we have now been saying for some time that we are in the window, and an invasion could begin, a major military action could begin by Russia in Ukraine any day now -- that includes this coming week, before the end of the Olympics," he said.
"The way they have built up their forces, the way they have maneuvered things in place, makes it a distinct possibility there will be major military action very soon. And we are prepared to continue to work on diplomacy, but we are also prepared to respond in a united and decisive way with our allies and partners should Russia proceed," added Sullivan.