The The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended that all Spanish residents in Ukraine temporarily leave the country fearing that the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine will escalate. “Spaniards currently in the Ukrainian country are recommended to seriously consider the possibility of temporarily leaving it by the available commercial means, as long as current circumstances persist.”indicates Foreign Affairs in a statement.
The department led by Minister José Manuel Albares has likewise insisted to the Spanish population to avoid traveling to Ukraine at this time “given the volatile security situation” that exists in the Eastern European country. Spain thus joins the recommendation already made by the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Holland, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Israel, Montenegro, Estonia, North Macedonia, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, Kuwait, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Spaniards currently in the country are advised to seriously consider temporarily leaving the country through available commercial means, while current circumstances persist.https://t.co/NYIwrh1vfa via @MAECgob
— EmbassyEspUkraine (@EmbEspKiev) February 12, 2022
US evacuates non-essential personnel
The US has also decided to evacuate non-essential staff from its embassy in Kiev. It is a decision they have made based on the information they handle intelligence services about an imminent invasion by Russia, according to El País. This request has arrived hours before the conversation that Putin and Biden have planned.
500 Spaniards registered in Ukraine
At this time, There are just over 500 Spaniards who are registered in the Spanish consulates of Ukraine, the majority in the capital Kiev, although from the Government it is clarified that it is unknown how many more can be found there without having registered.
The United States is already talking about a Russian invasion
The fear that the conflict will escalate in Ukraine has increased in recent hours after the president of the United States, Joe Biden, said this Friday that the crisis in Eastern Europe can spill over at any time, for which he asked his fellow citizens to leave the Ukrainian country “in the next 24-48 hours.” For his part, the Secretary of State of the North American nation, Antony Blinken, added that The Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen “at any time”without ruling out that it be done before the end of the Winter Olympics, which are being held in Beijing and conclude next Sunday, February 20.