The US is moving its embassy out of Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in the eastern part of the country, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Monday.
The US is temporarily moving all State Department personnel out of Ukraine to Poland for security reasons, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Biden officials intend for the personnel to return on Tuesday morning if there is no invasion by Russia, the person added.
While State Department officials initially declined to comment, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later wrote on Twitter, “Our colleagues who recently relocated to Lviv will spend the night in Poland. They will regularly return to continue their diplomatic work in Ukraine and provide emergency consular services.”
The move comes hours after Putin signed an order recognizing the independence of pro-Russian separatist groups in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
Later, Putin ordered his defense ministry to dispatch peacekeepers to Donetsk and Luhansk.
Russia currently has over 150,000 troops stationed near the Ukrainian border. On Sunday, the US cited intelligence reports saying that Russian military officers have already received orders to launch the invasion of Ukraine.
Later on Sunday, the US embassy in Moscow warned Americans of potential attacks in public places in Russia, including along the border with Ukraine.
The embassy told Americans in Russia to "avoid crowds" and "have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance".