Foreign Affairs asks the Spanish to temporarily leave Ukraine

José Manuel Albares, Foreign Minister, during his visit to Ukraine, on February 9. PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDO (EFE)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended that Spanish residents in Ukraine temporarily leave the country by their own means.

“Spaniards currently in that country are recommended to seriously consider the possibility of temporarily leaving it through the available commercial means, while the current circumstances persist,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.

At the same time, he has reiterated the recommendation not to travel to Ukraine "given the volatile security situation" in that country.

More information

The US evacuates non-essential personnel from its Embassy in Kiev in fear of an imminent Russian invasion

Just over 500 Spaniards are registered in the Spanish consulates in Ukraine, the majority in Kiev, the capital, and in the center of the country;

although it is unknown how many can be found there without registering.

The Government has an evacuation plan for residents of Ukraine, but it has not been activated as commercial lines continue to operate to leave the country.

05:21

Why can there be war in Ukraine?

A soldier of the Ukrainian Military Forces of the mechanized brigade takes part in live-fire exercises near the city of Chuguev, Kharkiv region.

Video: EPV

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has informed the King this Saturday morning of the new travel recommendations to Ukraine and has contacted the leader of the PP, Pablo Casado, whom he has thanked for his support, as reported by La Moncloa.

Casado has confirmed the call and has reiterated, through a tweet, his support for the Government so that it "fulfills Spain's responsibilities within the framework of NATO and the EU."

Sánchez has also informed the partners of the government coalition through the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, will inform the spokespersons of the parliamentary groups.

@sanchezcastejon has called me to inform me about the new developments in relation to the Ukraine crisis.

I have reiterated the support of the Popular Party so that the Government fulfills Spain's responsibilities within the framework of NATO and the EU.

– Pablo Casado Blanco (@pablocasado_) February 12, 2022

The recommendation to Spanish citizens to leave Ukraine was given after the meeting held this Saturday in Kiev by the ambassadors of the EU countries, most of whom agreed on the need to take this step.

Already on Friday, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Holland, Japan and South Korea, in addition to the United States, adopted this decision.

US President Joe Biden asked his fellow citizens who are on Ukrainian soil to leave the country "in the next 24-48 hours" because the crisis can overflow at any time and no troops will be sent to evacuate them.

Germany has joined this Saturday in the recommendation to its citizens to leave Ukraine "as soon as possible" and has moved its consulate in Dnipro, in the east of the country, to Leopolis,

near the border with Poland.

Italy has also asked its citizens this Saturday to temporarily leave Ukraine "as a precaution" and has reduced the non-essential staff of its Embassy.

Spain rules out, for now, evacuating its diplomatic staff, although the European External Action Service (EEAS), led by Josep Borrell, has released its "non-essential" staff stationed in Ukraine to "telework from outside the country".

Washington, for its part, has evacuated relatives of its diplomats and non-essential personnel.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that the Kremlin could decide to invade the former Soviet republic "at any time, even during the winter Olympics" in Beijing, which close on the 20th.

The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, has stressed that "it is more important than ever" to opt for diplomatic channels to resolve the crisis in Ukraine.

Speaking in Cadiz, Robles recalled that the missions carried out by the Spanish Armed Forces (four Eurofighters from the Albacete base arrived in Bulgaria yesterday) are "stability" and not offensive, reports Efe.