The US ordered the departure of the majority of its diplomatic workers in Kyiv on Saturday, citing growing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Saturday, amid warnings from Western countries that Moscow could invade its neighbour at any time. The two leaders last spoke on December 30.

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According to a readout of the conversation provided by the Department of State, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “to discuss acute and shared concerns that Russia may be considering launching further military aggression against Ukraine in the coming days.”

Blinken “made clear that a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open,” according to the report, “but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions.”

According to a Russian Foreign Ministry transcript of the call, Lavrov accused Washington of launching a “propaganda campaign” about impending Russian aggression while neglecting Moscow’s fundamental requests.

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The call came after the State Department issued a travel alert stating that it had “ordered the departure of most U.S. direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action.”

The Department of State has announced that consular services at the US Embassy in Kyiv will be suspended as of Sunday.

“The embassy will maintain a small consular presence in Lviv, Ukraine to handle emergencies, but will not be able to provide passport, visa or routine consular services,” the advisory added.

Lviv, which is around 50 miles from the Polish border in western Ukraine, is further distant from potential Russian invasion routes.

On Saturday, Russia announced that its embassy in Kyiv will be closing. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it would “optimise” its employee levels in the face of “provocation.”

“Please note that our embassies and consulates will continue to perform their basic functions,” they added.

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Although authorities do not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a final decision, the Biden administration believes there is a “distinct possibility” that Russia would invade Ukraine before the completion of the Winter Olympics on February 20.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday that the prospect of such an intervention is “now immediate enough” to advise Americans still in Ukraine to depart within the next 24 to 48 hours.

“We continue to see signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border. As we’ve said before, we are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time should Vladimir Putin decide to order it,” At a White House briefing, Sullivan informed reporters.

It occurred as Vice President Joe Biden encouraged Americans still in Ukraine to leave immediately, saying in an interview with NBC News on Thursday that sending soldiers into the nation to rescue US residents would result in “world war.”

Allies of the United States were also advising their citizens to flee the country.

“They should leave immediately,” James Heappey, the British Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, told the BBC. “There is now a concentration of missile systems, artillery and combat air that means that Russia is in a position to launch a strike into Ukraine at almost no notice.”

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His remarks came as Moscow conducted military exercises in the Black Sea involving more than 30 naval ships, according to Russian state-owned news agency RIA. Western allies are concerned that Russia may use the military drills as a pretext to invade.

In other news, Israel announced that family members of diplomats and Israeli employees in its embassy will be evacuated, while Germany and the Netherlands urged their residents to leave as soon as possible.

However, the mood in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, was calm. Shoppers meandered about, some loading up on food from overflowing grocery shelves.

In a statement released on Saturday, the country’s Foreign Ministry stated that the government had increased its capabilities to safeguard its citizens.

“Ukraine has now a strong position, including due to coordinated diplomatic contacts at all levels, conclusion of preparation by the US and the EU of the tough economic sanctions, arms supplies and macro-financial assistance,” it said.