Iran Press/ Iran News: US President Joe Biden on Thursday 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 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 reported.
Biden said during his NBC interview that “there’s not” a situation that could prompt him to send US troops to rescue Americans attempting to exit Ukraine, adding: “That’s a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another.”
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.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, reacted to the allegation that Russia seeks to invade Ukraine, saying the West has started an intelligence war against Moscow.
“Not even one of Russia’s high-ranking representatives has ever said that Russia is going to attack any state,” he added.
The White House and the Pentagon on Wednesday said Moscow was increasing its military presence near Ukraine, even though, earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron, in his visit to Moscow, said Russian President Vladimir Putin had assured him there would be no “deterioration or escalation” in the stand-off.
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