(FiveNation.com)- On Monday, the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief announced that the EU would not be following the US State Department’s lead in calling for the evacuation of families of embassy personnel in Ukraine.
In a move that ruffled feathers in Kyiv, over the weekend, the US State Department ordered the voluntary departure of family members of its embassy personnel over fears of a purported “imminent” Russian invasion.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the US move “utterly ridiculous” and another example of “US inconsistency.”
In a tweet on Monday, Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko called the State Department’s move premature and “an instance of excessive caution.”
Shortly after the State Department’s action, the UK’s Foreign Office announced its decision to draw down personnel at their embassy in Kyiv as well.
But when asked by reporters if the EU would do the same, Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said they would not, adding that he is eager to hear Secretary of State Blinken’s explanation for the State Department’s decision.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Germany is monitoring the situation in Ukraine, but she warned against contributing to unsettling the situation further. Baerbock reiterated the importance of Western allies continuing their support of Ukraine’s government to maintain stability in the country.
According to the Associated Press, Ukraine officials are calling for calm and reassuring the country that a Russian invasion is not “imminent.”
On Monday, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Ukraine’s ICTV channel that there is no reason to believe an invasion is imminent since Russian troops have not formed a battle group that could force its way through the border.
While Reznikov conceded that there are risks, no such imminent threat exists. He called for calm and added “no need to have your bags packed.”
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council secretary Oleksiy Danilov also tamped down the invasion rhetoric Monday, saying there are no grounds for the statements warning about an imminent full-scale invasion.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the United States of “fomenting tensions” over Ukraine.
