Amid fear of a Russian invasion, the US pulled its diplomats from its embassy in Kyiv and temporarily transferred operations of its embassy to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. "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," US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told CNN.
The placement of a large number of troops by Russia on its border close to Ukraine gave rise to fear of invasion. Some of the troops have however returned to their district areas near the border after completing military drills. Recently, Washington ordered US government employees to leave Ukraine. State Department spokesperson Ned Price had said on Monday that "it remains unclear to us whether Russia is interested in pursuing a diplomatic path as opposed to the use of force."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that possibilities for talks haven't been exhausted.
Lavrov said the talks can't go on indefinitely, but “I would suggest to continue and expand them at this stage." He noted that Washington has offered to discuss limits for missile deployments in Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures.
