US embassy in Ukraine ‘requests staff evacuation’ amid war fears

The US embassy in Ukraine has requested the evacuation of all non-essential staff amid increasing fears of an imminent Russian invasion and the arrival overnight of arms deliveries promised by President Joe Biden, according to a CNN report.

US evacuations are likely to start "as early as next week", the US cable news network said, citing a source close to the Ukrainian government. It marks the embassy's shift in focus towards "helping Ukraine bolster its defences in the face of growing Russian aggression".

The embassy in Kyiv also said on Twitter that the first batch of fresh US assistance had arrived in Ukraine, which includes weaponry described as "200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the frontline defenders of Ukraine."

It follows Biden's assertion on Wednesday in a White House address that he now expected the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to "move in" and invade Ukraine, in an act that would mean large-scale war returning to continental Europe for the first time in a generation.

"My guess is he will move in," Biden said in response to questions about whether an invasion was coming. "He has to do something."

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, held talks with Russian diplomats in Switzerland on Friday in an attempt to avert conflict, with Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, striking a conciliatory tone and the diplomatic process ongoing.

"We didn't expect any breakthroughs to happen today," Blinken said after the meeting. "But I believe we are now on a clearer path in terms of understanding each other's concerns."