US State Department Orders Withdrawal of Families from US Embassy in Belarus

Russia's Potential Invasion of Ukraine Increases
US Ambassador to UN: "30,000 Russian Troops Expected to Gather at Belarus-Ukraine Border"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] As the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine increases, the U.S. Department of State has reportedly issued a withdrawal order to the families of U.S. Embassy staff in Belarus.

On the 31st (local time), according to CNN and others, the U.S. Department of State issued a withdrawal order to the families of U.S. Embassy staff in Belarus and advised against traveling to Belarus.

The United States has already designated Belarus at the highest travel advisory level (Level 4: Do Not Travel) due to the spread of COVID-19 and the arbitrary law enforcement by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, known as "Europe's last dictator."

Earlier, as the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine increased, the U.S. government also issued a withdrawal order last month to non-essential personnel and diplomatic families at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

With Russia recently amassing about 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border over the past few months, the U.S. and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) are concerned that Russia may soon take military action against Ukraine.

Additionally, as Russian troops have recently been deployed in Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, Western concerns are growing over the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine from the north. In this regard, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, stated at a public meeting of the UN Security Council convened that day, "There are already 5,000 Russian troops stationed at the Belarus-Ukraine border," and "There is evidence that Russia intends to amass more than 30,000 troops there by early February."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.