The Biden administration is exploring options for a potential evacuation of US citizens from Ukraine if Russia were to invade the country and create a dire security situation, half a dozen sources tell CNN.
This is reported by CNN with reference to 6 high-ranking sources.
According to the publication, the contingency planning is being led by the Pentagon and comes as the administration briefs Congress on how the US is preparing. In a "gloomy" briefing to senators by senior State Department official Victoria Nuland on Monday night, Nuland outlined the tough sanctions package being prepared by the administration in response to a potential Russian attack, but acknowledged that the US' options to deter an invasion are fairly limited, a person familiar with the briefing said.
It is still unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade, US officials stressed. But he has amassed enough forces, equipment, and supplies near Ukraine's borders that he could move to attack on very short notice.
It is noted, that the U.S. administration does not currently see a need for evacuations – airlines are still operating from Ukraine's international airports and land borders to Ukraine's western neighbors are open. The discussions are part of planning in the event the security situation severely deteriorates, multiple officials involved in the planning emphasized.
"The Department of Defense is a planning organization and must be ready for any manner of contingencies around the world. We do a lot of thinking about a lot of scenarios. But there is no demand signal for civilian evacuations in Ukraine, and it would be wrong to conclude that there is an active effort in the Pentagon to prepare for them," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
In a tweet, the US Embassy in Kyiv said, "The U.S. government is not currently considering evacuations of U.S. government personnel or American citizens from Ukraine. We are conducting normal contingency planning, as we always do, in the event the security situation severely deteriorates."