Israel evacuates embassy

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has decided to evacuate diplomats’ families from Ukraine, local media reported on Friday. The ministry also suggested Israelis currently staying in Ukraine consider leaving, or at least avoid “points of friction,” and advised those planning on visiting to change their plans.

Tel Aviv’s call for evacuation follows a similar move by the US, which has warned Americans staying in Ukraine to leave immediately, adding that US troops will not be sent to rescue them should Russia invade.

While Russia has repeatedly denied plans to invade Ukraine, the US has pointed to actions such as massing over 100,000 troops along the border as proof Moscow is plotting an invasion. Joint military exercises with its neighbor Belarus and Black Sea naval drills have also been held up as a sign of something nefarious.

Kiev has dismissed American reports of an “imminent” invasion, accusing the US of fearmongering even while accepting massive weapons shipments from the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that the US constantly hyping the possibility of war could contribute to the destabilization of Ukraine and the collapse of its economy, essentially becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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