The United States has ordered the withdrawal of the 160 American soldiers who were training Ukrainian forces to “reposition them elsewhere in Europe”, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby announced on Saturday.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made the decision regarding these Florida National Guard soldiers “out of an abundance of caution, with the safety and security of the workforce in mind,” the statement said.
Washington said Friday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could occur “at any time”.
“This repositioning does not constitute a change in our determination to support Ukrainian forces, but will provide flexibility to reassure our allies and prevent any aggression,” added John Kirby.
Since 2015, US National Guard reservists have been on rotations to train and train the Ukrainian military, alongside soldiers from other NATO countries, including Canada and Germany.
Earlier Saturday, the US Embassy in Kyiv ordered the withdrawal of its non-essential staff. Several European countries have also recommended their nationals to leave Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said the diplomatic channel remained “open” to avoid a conflict but would require “de-escalation” from Moscow, during a call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Saturday.
The latter accused the United States of wanting to provoke a conflict in Ukraine with his accusations of a possible imminent Russian invasion.
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