EU diplomats stressed on Monday they regretted the US decision to evacuate diplomats’ families from Kyiv, stressing it could be interpreted as a sign that the West accepts a scenario of a possible Russian invasion, noting at the same time that any withdrawal of foreign embassy personnel was sowing panic.
Speaking on Monday after talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said that there’s nothing to suggest an immediate Russian attack.
Although the UK and Australia followed the US in ordering diplomats’ families to leave Kyiv, and France and Germany, amongst others, advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine, Borrell noted that any withdrawal of diplomatic personnel appears premature.
Earlier on Monday, he revealed that the EU would not be following in the footsteps of the US and the UK, underlining there is no need to dramatize the situation when they don’t know any specific reasons.
He also pointed out that Secretary Blinken has told them that it was not an evacuation and that diplomatic staff who are not crucial are free to decide to leave the country if they want.
Evidently seeking to calm Western fears over its current perception of Ukraine tensions, Borrell said that they’re well aware of the degree of threats and asked the US and other Western countries to stay calm doing what they have to do and avoid a nervous breakdown.
Several EU diplomats, on the other hand, have openly expressed their irritation over the US withdrawal, calling it very ill-timed and the wrong signal to send to the Ukrainians in a time when the EU wants to portray any kind of unity with the US towards Russia.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy himself assured everything is under control, pointing out there is no reason to panic after his Monday’s meeting with Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council in Kyiv.
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