Ukraine: US orders families of embassy staff to leave

The US has ordered the relatives of its embassy staff in Ukraine to leave amid rising tension in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken greets embassy staff at the US embassy in Kyiv on 19 January 2022 as part of a two-day visit in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with staff at the US embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv (or Kiev) on 19 January.Ā Photo:Ā AFP

The State Department has also given permission for non-essential staff to leave and urged US citizens in Ukraine to consider departing.

In a statement, it said US citizens should not travel to Russia due “to ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine”, further warning on theĀ conflict with KyivĀ as Moscow amasses troops near its neighbour.

The State Department said there were reports thatĀ Russia is planning significant military actionĀ against Ukraine.

Russia has denied claims that it is planning to invade Ukraine.

“There are reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine,” the advisory from the State Department said.

It added that the security conditions are “unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice”.

The State Department reissued its travel advisory that says Americans should not travel to Russia, adding: “US citizens are strongly advised against travelling by land from Russia to Ukraine through this region.”

The head of the military defence alliance NATO has warned there is a risk of fresh conflict in Europe after an estimated 100,000 Russian troops amassed on the border.

On Saturday, some 90 tonnes of US “lethal aid” including ammunition for “front-line defenders” arrived in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the government were putting together a “series of actions that would figure into President Putin’s calculus” including beefing up defences in Ukraine with more military assistance.

Russia has seized Ukrainian territory before, when it annexed Crimea in 2014, after the country overthrew their pro-Moscow president.

Ever since, Ukraine’s military has been locked in a war with Russian-backed rebels in areas of the east near Russia’s borders. An estimated 14,000 people have been killed in the Donbas region.

Meanwhile, the UK embassy in Ukraine said some staff and dependants are being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to the growing threat from Russia.

On Sunday, the UK foreign office accused Putin of planning to install a pro-Moscow figure to lead Ukraine’s government.

UK ministers have warned that the Russian government will face serious consequences if there is an incursion.

– BBC / Reuters

FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA NOUNOU

 

 

ā€˜Oatu pe kiā€™I puipuituā€™a nounou ko ā€˜eni kia kinautolu ā€˜oku manako lau hisitōliaā€™ ke tokoni ke toe mahino ange hono lau ā€˜etau ongoongoā€™ mo e tuā€™utuā€™u tau ko ā€˜eni kuo uki ai ā€˜a ā€˜Amelika ā€˜a honau kakai ngāue fakaā€™amipasitoa ā€˜I ā€˜Iukuleini ke nau mavahe leva mei he fonuaā€™ ni. ā€˜Oku ngali ā€˜e fai hono fakafepakiā€™I lahi ā€˜o LÅ«sia heā€™ene ngaahi langa tau ā€˜I ā€˜Iukuleiniā€™.

Ko e hā ā€˜a e tupunga ā€˜o e ngaā€™uta fakakautau ko ā€˜eni ā€˜I he vā ā€˜o LÅ«sia mo e ā€˜Iukuleiniā€™ pea ko e hā e ā€˜uhinga e hÅ« atu ā€˜a ā€˜Amelika mo ngaahi fonua ā€˜o e NATO ā€˜o kau ai.

ā€˜Oku ui ā€˜eni ko e Russo-Ukrainian War pea ko e fekeā€™ikeā€™I ā€˜eni ia ā€˜a e ongo fonua talu mei Fepueli 2014 ā€˜o takimuā€™a ai ā€˜a LÅ«sia mo e kautau ā€˜I ā€˜Iukuleisini ā€˜oku nau poupou ki LÅ«sia mo e kakai ā€˜o Ā ā€˜Iukuleini ā€˜oku poupouā€™I ia ā€˜e he NATO (ā€˜a ia ko e ngaahi fonua ā€˜Iulope kotoa ia ā€˜e mei 30 Ā kau ai ā€˜a Pilitānia, Falanisē, Siamane mo ā€˜Amelika). Ko e tau ā€˜eni tuā€™unga he muitolotolo lahi ā€˜oku ā€˜iloa ko Kalimiaā€™ ā€˜a ia ā€˜oku tuā€™u he tokelau ā€˜o e Talh ā€˜Uliā€™uliā€™ mo ā€˜Iulope Hahake. ā€˜Oku feā€™unga hono tokolahiā€™ mo e toko ua miliona tupu. Ko e feituā€™u ko ā€˜eni kuo ā€˜osi fakatokangaā€™ia fakavahaā€™apuleā€™anga ko e konga ia ā€˜o ā€˜Iukuleini.

Naā€™e tupu e kē ā€˜a LÅ«sia mo ā€˜Iukuleini ā€˜I Ā Kilimiaā€™ mei he hoko ā€˜a e fakahā loto kuo ā€˜iloa ko e Euromaidan ā€˜a ia ko ha ngaahi fakahā loto ā€˜eni ā€˜a ha kau ā€˜Iukuleini pe ne kamata he 2013 ā€˜o fakafepakiā€™I ā€˜a e loto ā€˜a honau puleā€™angaā€™ ke toloi atu ā€˜enau fakamoā€™oni he aleapau European Unionā€“Ukraine Association Agreement pe aleapau ā€˜eni ke tuā€™ufakataha ā€˜a ā€˜Iukuleini mo e ā€˜iunioni ā€˜a ā€˜Iulopeā€™ ka ke nau fakataha kinautolu mo LÅ«sia mo e Eurasian Economic Union. Ne fakalalahi ā€˜a e fakahā lotoā€™ ni he mamahi ā€˜a e kau ā€˜Iukuleiniā€™ honau puleā€™anga Ā ā€˜o aā€™u ki he iku fakafisi ā€˜a e palesiteniā€™. Ka ne hoko ia ke hÅ« hake ai ā€˜a e kau sōtia ā€˜ikai teunga sōtia angamaheni LÅ«sia ia ā€˜o nau puke fakamālohiā€™i ā€˜a e ngaahi feituā€™u talā mo mahuā€™inga ā€˜o ā€˜Iukuleini. Ne paasi ai ā€˜e LÅ«sia ā€˜enau lao ke fakamafaiā€™I ā€˜enau hÅ« atu ki ā€˜Iukuleiniā€™. Ne iku ai ke fakaangaā€™I lahi heni ā€˜e he kakai o Kilimia ā€™ ha fili fakahāloto ne fai ā€˜e honau Fale Aleaā€™ ā€˜o pehē ke nau kau kinautolu ki LÅ«sia ka ko e tālaā€™a ā€˜a e kakai ā€˜o Kilimia ki he ola e fili ni ā€™ he ko e kau LÅ«siaā€™ pe ia ne nau fokotuā€™utuā€™uā€™.

Kaekehe, ne hokohoko mai heni ā€˜a e ngaahi alea kehekehe pe ia ka ko e meā€™a ke mahino foki ko e kasa ko ia ā€˜a ā€˜LÅ«sia ā€˜oku tufaki ki ā€˜Iulopeā€™ ā€˜oku fou ia ā€˜I ā€˜Iukuleini pea ā€˜oku mei maā€™u ā€˜e he fonuaā€™ ni ia ā€˜a e paā€™anga ā€˜Iulo ā€˜e tolu piliona he taā€™u kei ai. Ka ā€˜oku hoko ia ke faā€™a fai ai ā€˜a e ngaahi alea lalahi pea ne iku ā€˜o faā€™u ā€˜e LÅ«sia ia ā€˜ene paipa foā€™ou ā€˜ana ke fakatafe ai ā€˜ene kasaā€™ ā€˜o ā€˜ikai fou ia ā€˜I ā€˜Iukuleini.

Kaekehe ko e toe mapuna hake ko ā€˜eni ā€˜o hÅ« atu ā€˜a ā€˜Amelika mo e NATO ko e mahino mai kuo toe ā€˜Ätakaiā€™I ā€˜e LÅ«sia ā€˜a ā€˜Iukuleini he uikeā€™ ni

About The Author

Sometimes when a business is growing, it needs a little help.

Right now Kaniva News provides a free, politically independent, bilingual news service for readers around the world that is absolutely unique. We are the largest New Zealand-based Tongan news service, and our stories reach TongansĀ  wherever they are round the world. But as we grow, there are increased demands on Kaniva News for translation into Tongan on our social media accounts and for the costs associated with expansion. We believe it is important for Tongans to have their own voice and for Tongans to preserve their language, customs and heritage. That is something to which we are strongly committed. Thatā€™s why we are asking you to consider sponsoring our work and helping to preserve a uniquely Tongan point of view for our readers and listeners.

spot_imgspot_imgspot_imgspot_img

Latest news

Related news