US moves all embassy staff out of Ukraine after Putin orders troops into rebel-held territories
THE US has reportedly moved all embassy staff out of Ukraine after Vladimir Putin ordered troops into the country's rebel-held territories.
The Russian president last night signed a decree recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel republic in east Ukraine - destroying hopes of peace.
Putin signed off orders to parliament, making Russia the first country in the world to recognise the two mini-states created when he orchestrated a land grab in 2014.
And just moments later, it was reported all US embassy staff in Ukraine would move out of the country for "security reasons."
senior White House reporter, Jennifer Jacobs, tweeted: "The Biden admin has ordered all remaining State Department personnel out of Ukraine.
"The embassy had previously relocated from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv. Now they are shifting to Poland."
A source said US officials intend for the personnel to return Tuesday morning if Russia did not invade.
Meanwhile, the State Department and the National Security Council declined to comment.
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The last paragraph of Putin's orders to parliament said he was ordering Russian armed forces to “provide peacekeeping on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic.”
But US President Joe Biden has "strongly condemned" the leader's decision to recognise the independence of the states.
Russia’s parliament was last night said to be adopting plans to build military bases in self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk - and stay for 10 years.
The move sparked a mass mobilisation of forces in Ukraine - where a bloody resistance campaign looks likely if Russian troops push further.
In his address to the Russian nation last night, Putin said: “We demand that those who seized power in Kyiv immediately stop hostilities, otherwise, the responsibility for the continuing bloodshed will rest entirely with thee Ukrainian regime.”
The live television feed then cut to footage of him signing two decrees - one recognising the Donetrsk People’s Republic and the other recognising the independence of the Luhansk People’s Republic.
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The former KGB officer's rant was a slap in the face for Western peace brokers and dashed hopes of diplomatic solution through a summit with US President Joe Biden.
And it ramped up tension further with The West amid fears of a global World War III escalation.
In a call with President Zelenskyy, Biden reaffirmed his plans to use sanctions on Russia, adding the US would respond "swiftly and decisively" to prevent Russian aggression.
And he reassured President Zelenskyy of the US' "commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity".
Boris Johnson will also chair a Cobra meeting first thing on Tuesday to coordinate Britain’s response - including tough new sanctions on Russia.
The PM will use the Cobra meeting, which is scheduled to take place at 6.30am, to "coordinate the UK response", including agreeing a "significant package of sanctions to be introduced immediately", a No 10 spokesperson said.
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They warned the PM believes an invasion is “a real possibility in the coming hours and days”.
And they added: “The Prime Minister strongly condemned the Kremlin’s decision today to recognise Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states, and said the move made the Minsk agreements and process unworkable."
