Ukraine Slams Biden For Urging Americans To Leave

Ukraine is taking shots at Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration for urging the families of U.S. diplomats in Ukraine and U.S. citizens in the country to leave as soon as possible amid the threat of an imminent invasion by Russia.

A source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told BuzzFeed News on Monday that Zelensky “does not think there’s any remotely imminent threat to Kyiv.”

“The fact that the US was the first one to announce this is extremely disappointing and quite frankly these Americans are safer in Kyiv than they are in Los Angeles … or any other crime-ridden city in the US,” the source said. “On the one hand, [Washington tells Ukraine] how we should democratize. We stand with you. It’s your right to determine to join the West. We will stand with you against Russian aggression. Then Russia turns up the temperature and they’re the first to leave.”

The source said that Zelensky views Biden’s panicky response as “utterly ridiculous” and a sign of “U.S. inconsistency.”
Zelensky’s comment comes as the Biden administration told “dependents of staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv that they must leave the country,” the Associated Press reported over the weekend.

The State Department mentioned the threat of Russian invasion in a statement, saying that the situation could rapidly change with little notice.

“The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice. Demonstrations, which have turned violent at times, regularly occur throughout Ukraine, including in Kyiv,” the department said. “Do not travel to Ukraine due to the increased threats of Russian military action and COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in Ukraine due to crime and civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk.”