Kirby reiterated US' commitment to the Ukrainian armed forces amid the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, he said, "@SecDef has ordered the temporary repositioning of @FLGuard troops out of Ukraine.
Abundance of caution, safety and security of our personnel his paramount concern. We remain committed to our relationship with the Ukrainian armed forces."
Earlier in the day, the US State Department has told non-emergency personnel at its embassy in Ukraine to leave due to reports of Russian troop build-up near the border with Ukraine and "potential for significant military action," the US embassy in Kyiv said Saturday.
"Today, the @StateDept ordered non-emergency US employees at the Embassy to depart due to continued reports of a Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, indicating the potential for significant military action," the embassy tweeted. The core team of US diplomats will stay in Ukraine, however, the embassy said.
The US and several NATO countries have been pumping Kyiv with weapons in recent weeks, alleging that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine, which Moscow denied.
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