US People Should Leave Ukraine Now, According To Joe Biden
Due to escalating Russian military threats, US President Joe Biden has ordered all American citizens still in Ukraine to evacuate the country immediately.
Mr. Biden has stated that if Russia invades Ukraine, he will not send soldiers to rescue Americans.
"Things might get crazy rapidly" in the region, he said.
Despite massing more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, Russia has repeatedly denied any ambitions to invade the country.
However, it has recently launched large-scale military exercises with Belarus, and Ukraine has accused Russia of obstructing its access to the sea.
The Kremlin has stated that it intends to enforce "red lines" in order to prevent its former Soviet neighbor from joining Nato.
In the midst of the tensions, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared on Thursday that Europe is facing its worst security crisis in decades.
The US State Department has advised Americans in Ukraine to leave as soon as possible.
Mr Biden told NBC News, "American citizens should leave now."
"We're up against one of the world's largest armies. It's a whole different circumstance, and things might quickly spiral out of control."
When asked if he could imagine a scenario in which he would send troops to rescue fleeing Americans, Mr Biden said: "There isn't any. When the United States and Russia start shooting at each other, it's a world war. We live in a world that is vastly different from anything we've ever known."
Meanwhile, world leaders continued their frantic diplomacy to settle the current Ukraine issue.
After nine hours of discussions with French and German officials aimed at ending the separatist crisis in eastern Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine reported late Thursday that they had failed to reach any agreement. While there are disagreements, Ukrainian envoy Andriy Yermak stated that "there is a will to continue and a want to discuss."
Tensions have been high for the past eight years, since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea.