United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the US Embassy in Kyiv will close and the few remaining diplomatic personnel will be “temporarily relocating” to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, “due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.”

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“I have ordered these measures for one reason — the safety of our staff — and we strongly urge any remaining US citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately,” Blinken said in a statement.

“These prudent precautions in no way undermine our support for or our commitment to Ukraine. Our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering,” he said. “We also continue our sincere efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, and we remain engaged with the Russian government following President Biden’s call with President Putin and my discussion with Foreign Minister Lavrov.”

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“The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage in good faith. We look forward to returning our staff to the Embassy as soon as conditions permit,” Blinken added.

The announcement comes only days after the United States ordered the vast bulk of its federal staff to leave the country and declared that consular services at the US Embassy would be terminated as of Sunday. This weekend, the State Department announced that it will maintain a small consular presence in Lviv for emergency assistance.

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Officials from the United States have frequently urged Americans to leave Ukraine quickly, saying that a Russian invasion might occur at any time, even this week.