US reopens embassy in Ukraine’s capital

In a statement titled “Raising the flag at US Embassy in Kiev, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the reopening of diplomatic missions as “an important step”. The American flag was raised above the embassy building in a brief ceremony.

“We are proud and continue to support the Ukrainian government and people in defending the country,” Blinken said.

The US secretary of state explained that the temporary shutdown was necessary for the safety of embassy staff, but when reopening, the embassy has additional measures to protect staff.

“We reaffirm our commitment to the people and government of Ukraine, and we look forward to fulfilling our mission from the US Embassy in Kiev,” Blinken said.

Embassy spokesman Daniel Langenkamp told Reuters consular operations had remained suspended for now and that a “no travel” recommendation from the US State Department remained in place across Ukraine.

The US State Department official told The New York Post that the US Marine Corps currently does not have members deployed to protect embassy staff – as is the norm at US embassies in the US. other places in the world. However, the State Department plans to designate such a guard.

The State Department official added that in-person consular services, including those for US citizens and visa services, remain suspended until further notice.

In the past few weeks, several countries have also reopened their embassies in the Ukrainian capital, including Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, France and Armenia. On May 17, Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky posted a picture of raising the flag in Kiev.

The US Embassy in Kiev announced to close on February 14 – 10 days before Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine – when US intelligence assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to order an attack.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine after Moscow recognized the independence of two breakaway republics in the Donbass.

In early April, Russia withdrew its troops from northern Ukraine, including areas around Kiev, to focus on capturing the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine. But the Ukrainian military this month pushed back Russian forces northeast to the Russian border near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Despite Ukraine’s unexpected success, Russia managed to achieve a number of victories, including the fact that Ukrainian forces, including members of Azov battalion, surrender after three months entrenched in the Azovstal steel plant in the port city of Mariupol. The move gives Russia full control of Mariupol, a city strategically located along the Sea of ​​Azov to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed after a 2014 referendum.