President Biden and State Department Tell Americans in Ukraine to Leave Now: 'Things Could Go Crazy'
Patrick Semansky/AP/Shutterstock President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden gave a stark warning to Americans who are still in Ukraine, amid ongoing tensions between the European country and neighboring Russia.
"American citizens should leave now," Biden, 79, told NBC News anchor Lester Holt in an interview that aired Thursday, ahead of a longer sit-down for the Super Bowl.
"It's not like we're dealing with a terrorist organization. We're dealing with one of the largest armies in the world," Biden said of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. "It's a very different situation, and things could go crazy quickly."
The State Department issued a similar directive, warning against travel to Ukraine "due to the increased threats of Russian military action" and telling U.S. citizens who remain to "depart now via commercial or private means."
With more than 100,000 Russian troops gathered along the country's border with Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday, "We're in a window when an invasion could begin at any time — and to be clear that includes during the Olympics."
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Biden said there's no scenario that could prompt him to send troops to rescue U.S. citizens who find themselves in Ukraine or trying to flee the country during or after a Russian invasion.
"How do you even do that?" he said. "How do you even find them?"
"I'm hoping that if he's foolish enough to go in, then he's smart enough not to in fact do anything that would negatively impact American citizens," the president added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin has argued tensions are fueled by concerns about NATO's sphere of influence in Europe and its own interests in Ukraine, but Putin has said he is open to ongoing negotiations.
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Asked if he warned Putin about negatively impacting U.S. citizens in Ukraine, Biden said on NBC, "I didn't have to tell him. I've spoken about that. He knows that."
The State Department's advisory was even more explicit: "The U.S. government will not be able to evacuate U.S. citizens in the event of Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine. Military action may commence at any time and without warning and would also severely impact the U.S. Embassy's ability to provide consular services, including assistance to U.S. citizens in departing Ukraine."
