UAE, Kuwait, Iraq urge nationals to leave Ukraine amid tension

Tension escalates along Ukrainian border amid fears of possible Russian invasion


Anadolu Agency February 14, 2022
A service member of the Ukrainian armed forces walks at combat positions near the line of separation from Russian-backed rebels in Luhansk Region, Ukraine February 6, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISTANBUL:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, and Iraq on Saturday advised their nationals against traveling to Ukraine as tension continues to escalate between Russia and the West.

On Twitter, the UAE Embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv urged its citizens to postpone any travel to Ukraine amid fear of a possible Russian invasion.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry also called on its nationals in Ukraine to leave the country “to preserve their safety.” It also urged those seeking to travel to Ukraine “to postpone their travel at the present time.”

Citing “exceptional circumstances," the Iraqi Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling on its citizens in Ukraine to leave the country and to avoid traveling there.

Ukraine has been plagued by conflict in its eastern regions since March 2014 following Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea.

READ Pope leads crowds in prayer for peace in Ukraine

Moscow recently amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine, prompting fears that the Kremlin could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Russia has denied it is preparing to invade and accused Western countries of undermining its security by NATO’s expansion toward its borders.

The Kremlin also issued a list of security demands to the West, including a rollback of troop deployments from some ex-Soviet states, and guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia will not join NATO.

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