White House On Possible Evacuation In Ukraine: US Always Conducts Contingency Planning

Washington conducts rigorous contingency planning if a security situation worsens in any country, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a press briefing when asked about plans to evacuate US citizens from Ukraine

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2022) Washington conducts rigorous contingency planning if a security situation worsens in any country, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a press briefing when asked about plans to evacuate US citizens from Ukraine.

"We do conduct rigorous contingency planning as we always do in the event... the security situation deteriorates in any country around the world, the State Department does that assessment. I would point you to them for any, any predictions or previews of any steps they may take," Psaki said on Friday.

The United States is considering evacuating diplomats' family members from Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

It is allegedly planned that non-essential staff would be able to leave Ukraine voluntarily but their families would be ordered to return home.

The State Department is expected to make an announcement in a few days, according to the report.

Tensions around Ukraine intensified over the past several months after Russia was accused of building up troops near the Ukrainian border and allegedly preparing for an invasion. Moscow has denied the accusations, stating repeatedly that it has no intentions of attacking anyone, but expressed concern about increasing Western defense support for Ukraine. In December, the Russian government proposed a set of mutual security guarantees in Europe to NATO and the United States, with their response still pending.