There will be no UK soldiers in Ukraine amid fears of a Russian attack, the armed forces minister said. Heappey said UK instructors were providing training on the use of anti-tank missile systems that London sent to Kiev last month. The new batch of instructors joined the UK soldiers who have been training their Ukrainian colleagues as part of Operation Orbital since 2015.
London will remove all of its troops from Ukraine amid fears that Russia could invade its neighbor, the UK’s armed forces minister, James Heappey, said on Saturday.
“All of them will be withdrawn,” Heappey told BBC Radio 4’s Today show. “There will be no British troops in Ukraine if there is to be a conflict there.”
“They will be leaving over the course of the weekend,” Heappey added. He urged British nationals to leave Ukraine immediately, arguing that Russia can attack “at no notice.” On Friday, the UK urged its nationals to leave the country “while commercial means are still available.”
Earlier on Saturday, the US ordered the evacuation of all non-emergency staff from its embassy in Kiev and advised Americans against traveling to Ukraine. Several other nations issued red travel notices as well.
Russia, meanwhile, said it was “optimizing” the staff at its diplomatic missions in Ukraine, citing possible “provocations” by Kiev or third parties.
Several Western news outlets quoted US officials on Friday as warning that Moscow could invade Ukraine next week. Russia has denied plans to attack its neighbor, RT.com reports.
Pentagon Pulls Forces From Ukraine For “Safety & Security” As Biden Phones Putin
The Pentagon has confirmed Saturday it has ordered soldiers who were in Ukraine training national forces out of the country, amid US fears that a Russian military offensive is imminent. It appears the US is moving its military assets out of the way, not wanting them to be targets of any potential invasion.
Specifically US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin identified that the some 160 Florida National Guard soldiers who had been in the country since November would be moved “elsewhere in Europe”.
“They are departing Ukraine and will reposition elsewhere in Europe. The Secretary made this decision out of an abundance of caution — with the safety and security of our personnel foremost in mind — and informed by the State Department’s guidance on U.S. personnel in Ukraine,” a Pentagon press statement said.
“This repositioning does not signify a change in our determination to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces, but will provide flexibility in assuring allies and deterring aggression,” it added.
A flurry of urgent phone calls are being made between Washington and Kiev, as well as other allied capitals on Saturday, with also Secretary Austin phoning his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu to discuss Russia’s military “build-up in Crimea and around Ukraine” and the Kremlin’s intent.
Crucially, an urgent call between Presidents Biden and Putin is being held Saturday, at 11 a.m. ET/7 p.m. Moscow time, according to the Kremlin.
U.S. embassy in Ukraine reducing staff to a ‘bare minimum,’ senior state department official says
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Moscow said the call was initiated by the White House. Putin also held a call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, as the diplomatic scramble is on to avoid direct military confrontation.
Meanwhile, both the US and Russia have begun drawing down diplomatic personnel at their embassies and consulates. The State Dept. said it’s “preparing for a worst-case scenario.”