US Closes Embassy in Kyiv, Relocates to Western City: State Department

Russia accuses US, UK of spreading war propaganda

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 1, 2020. Gleb Garanich/Reuters

The United States is shutting down its embassy in Kyiv amid heightened tensions with Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Feb. 14.

“We are in the process of temporarily relocating our Embassy operations in Ukraine from our Embassy in Kyiv to Lviv due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces,” Blinken said in a statement, saying that the White House remains engaged with the Ukrainian government and Russian officials to “deescalate this crisis.”