The US asks its citizens in Russia and Belarus to leave immediately

The United States asked its citizens in Russia and Belarus to immediately leave those countries due to the Russian attack in Ukraine, shortly after also announcing changes in the operations of its embassies in those two nations.

In a statement, the State Department also recommended not to travel to Belarus at this time, in which there are Russian troops on the border of that country with Ukraine, but also due to the “arbitrary imposition of regulations and the risk of arrest” or the pandemic itself.

The statement recalls the closure of the embassy in Belarus and the absence of consular services in that country.

The Government of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of the Kremlin, is one of the countries linked to the conflict in Ukraine, since it has welcomed more than 30,000 Russian soldiers to its territory for joint exercises that have served Moscow to cross the southern border of that country and attack Ukraine.

According to a senior US official told the press, Belarus is preparing to send its own troops to Ukraine to help Russia, something that could happen as early as Monday.

In this sense, the statement from the State Department that asks the country’s citizens to leave Belarus raises as an argument, among other things, the “unprovoked attack by Russia on Ukraine from Belarus.”

It also insists that Americans located in Belarus or considering traveling to the country should be aware that “the situation is unpredictable and tension has risen in the region,” says the note, which also foresees possible “harassment of foreigners ”.

It also asks Americans to avoid public demonstrations and to have their exit ready in case of an emergency.

The State Department also updated its recommendation on Monday not to travel to Russia and asked its citizens to leave that country immediately, using the commercial airways still available, since Washington has not closed the airspace to Russia.

At this point, he also considered possible “harassment” against Americans by the Russian authorities and stressed that the possibility of assistance from the Embassy is limited, without forgetting flight restrictions, terrorist threats or a possible use ” arbitrary” law against United States citizens.