It’s like Afghanistan all over again.
Sunday night the State Department said that if Russia invades Ukraine the United States would struggle to get Americans trapped behind enemy lines out of the country. The State Department also released a message calling for Americans to evacuate the region .
Russia: The Department continues to advise US citizens to not travel to Russia due to ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine. There is potential for harassment against US citizens & the Embassy has limited ability to assist US citizens in Russia. https://t.co/xbHJGxepzt pic.twitter.com/r7s67EfUYw
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) January 24, 2022
According to Townhall:
“Given that the President has said military action by Russia could come at any time. The U.S. government will not be in a position to evacuate U.S. citizens. So U.S. citizens, currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly,” a State Department official said on a call with reporters, advising Americans to book commercial flights as soon as possible.
Last week the White House indicated it does not know how many Americans are in the country and therefore, may not be able to get them out.
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The grim warning came before NATO announced Monday morning that it is deploying fighter jets and ships to eastern Europe ahead of Russia’s possible invasion of Ukraine.
Fox News reports:
Denmark will sail a frigate to the Baltic Sea and send four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania. Spain is also sending ships to join NATO naval forces in the region and is considering sending fighter jets to Bulgaria, the statement read. France said it is willing to send troops to Romania, and the Netherlands also said it will send two F-35 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria in April.
The British Embassy in Ukraine said it will withdraw some staffers from Kyiv in response to the growing threat from Russia — just a day after U.S. officials told Fox News that the State Department ordered families of U.S. Embassy personnel in the city to begin evacuating.
A spokesman for Ukraine’s foreign ministry blasted the State Department’s decision as “premature” and an example of “excessive caution.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday dodged a question about whether there was “any scenario” in which U.S. troops would be deployed to defend Ukraine, saying that U.S. and European allies are looking at “practical and important” responses to Russian aggression in the region.
