Topline
The United States and United Kingdom ordered troops to withdraw from Ukraine on Saturday who were stationed there to train Ukrainian forces, with a Russian invasion appearing increasingly imminent.
U.S. army military equipment and soldiers are inside in a temporary base in Mielec, Poland on … [+]
Key Facts
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said in a statement to Forbes 160 members of the Florida National Guard stationed at a training center in western Ukraine will be repositioned “elsewhere in Europe” (the withdrawal was first reported by Reuters).
About 80 U.S. Army Special Forces troops also stationed at the training center will remain in the country, officials told the New York Times.
Earlier on Saturday, the U.S. ordered most of its embassy staff in Kyiv to evacuate “due to the continued threat of Russian military action.”
U.K. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said he was withdrawing about 30 U.K. troops deployed to train Ukrainian forces in the use of anti-tank missiles the U.K. has supplied, along with approximately 100 other military personnel helping with wider training efforts.
Heappey said in an interview with BBC there will be “no British troops in Ukraine if there is to be a conflict there,” adding they will be leaving the country over the course of the weekend.
Crucial Quote
Kirby said the repositioning “does not signify a change in our determination to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces, but will provide flexibility in assuring allies and deterring aggression.”
Key Background
Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border in a buildup that began in the fall, and an invasion could begin “any day now,” U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday. Sullivan urged all Americans to immediately evacuate the country, warning Russia could launch deadly missile strikes and aerial bombings.
Further Reading
US Urges Americans To Leave Ukraine Within 48 Hours—But Insists Still Unclear Whether Russia Will Invade (Forbes)
Russia Plans Fake Explosion Video To Justify Ukraine Invasion, US Alleges (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/12/us-uk-pull-military-trainers-out-of-ukraine-with-russian-attack-possible-any-day-now/