Biden Asks Americans To Quit Ukraine
Washington, Feb 11: US President Joe Biden has urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country immediately, warning that “things could go crazy quickly” in the region. “American citizens should leave now,” Biden said in an upcoming interview that was taped on Thursday with NBC News’ Lester Holt.
Referring to Russia, which has amassed troops on its border with Ukraine, Biden said: “It’s not like we’re dealing with a terrorist organization. We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly.” CNN quoted Biden as telling NBC that “there’s not” a situation that could prompt him to send US troops to rescue Americans attempting to exit Ukraine.
“That’s a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another.”
If Russian President Vladimir Putin is “foolish enough to go in, he’s smart enough not to … do anything that would negatively impact on American citizens”, Biden added.
The White House has approved a plan for the nearly 2,000 US troops in Poland to help Americans who may try to evacuate Ukraine if Russia invades, according to two US officials familiar with the matter.
The US forces are not currently authorized to enter Ukraine itself if a war breaks out, and there are no plans for them to conduct a noncombatant evacuation operation akin to the US operation in Afghanistan last summer.
Instead, the plan as it now stands is that the troops, who are from the 82nd Airborne Division, will begin setting up processing areas and temporary shelters inside Poland near Ukraine’s border where Americans fleeing the country could go for help while in transit.
