A senior State Department official said it is past time for US citizens to leave Ukraine because there are limits to what the country can do to assist them in a conflict zone.
“These developments mean for private American citizens, that it isn’t just time to leave Ukraine. It is past time for private citizens to leave Ukraine,” the official said during a call with reporters on Saturday, adding that “there are real limits to what we are able to do in a war zone.”
While the Biden administration is working “intensively” to ensure that a war does not break out, the official said the possibility of armed conflict appears “increasingly likely.”
“We fervently hope and continue to work intensively to try to ensure that Ukraine does not become a war zone, and as you saw [Secretary of State Antony Blinken] working actively this morning to try to prevent that outcome with [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov]. However, it appears increasingly likely that this is where this situation is headed, towards some kind of active conflict,” the official said, adding that is why the steps are being taken now to get out US diplomats in a “safe and predictable” fashion.
The official warned that war zones are “inherently volatile” and “extremely dangerous.”
“Once a country or region becomes an active conflict zone, we have very little ability to help our fellow citizens,” the official said.
The official reiterated that Americans should not expect the US military to evacuate or rescue them from the country.
“American citizens should not expect the US military is going to come rescue them in Ukraine at the last minute. That’s not going to be happening in this scenario, and that’s why it is past time for them to leave Ukraine,” the official said.
A “couple thousand” Americans have told the State Department in recent days that they are still in Ukraine, and a “substantial number” of them do not want to leave the country despite potential dangers, the official said.
“We’re in active contact with them to understand whether or not they are planning to leave,” the official told reporters, as the department continues to urge those Americans to leave the country.
The official said the US respects the decision of the Americans who want to stay but encourages them to reconsider that choice.
“We fully respect their right to make their own choices, and … there are many reasons why people might resist leaving, including if they’re long-term residents of Ukraine,” the official said.
Some of the Americans are trying to leave the country now or have left already. The State Department is helping them leave if they want to do so.
Source: www.cnn.com