The United States on Monday shuttered its embassy in Minsk and allowed non-emergency employees and family members to depart fromits embassy in Moscow as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continued in the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II.
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"We took these steps due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
A photo posted on Twitter by US Ambassador to Belarus Julie Fisher on Monday showed mission staff lowering the American flag. All American staff have departed Belarus, Fisher tweeted.
The US relocated its Ukraine embassy operations from the capital Kyiv to the western city of Lviv two weeks ago as Russian forces amassed at Ukraine's borders.
