US Department of State Building in Washington DCWASHINGTON, Jan 22The State Department did not confirm reports of the upcoming evacuation of the families of the diplomatic staff of the US Embassy in Ukraine, noting that citizens of the country should not rely on government-sponsored flights, but use commercial airlines. The day before, CNN, citing sources, reported that the US embassy in Kiev asked the State Department to allow all non-essential personnel and their families to leave. Subsequently, one of the FoxNews journalists wrote on Twitter that the department ordered the evacuation to begin on Monday. According to him, this information was provided by officialsZelensky promised to proclaim the Act of Unification with the Donbass and Crimea. They noted that, «as always,» they are conducting «thorough contingency planning in the event of a deterioration in the security situation.» «If a decision is made to change the position regarding American diplomats and their families, American citizens should not assume that there will be government-sponsored evacuation. Commercial flights are currently available for sorties,» the agency said. Tensions in the region are being fueled by the United States and other countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, which have increased the number of exercises in the Black Sea. As Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted earlier, NATO is increasing arms supplies to Ukraine, where the number of Western instructors has increased. According to the diplomat, this could provoke the Ukrainian authorities «to military adventures,» which poses a direct threat to Russia's security. Kiev sent half of the entire personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the Donbass, the department noted. Moscow believes that the West is trying to create a grouping of troops near the Russian borders.
