Russia-Ukraine War: US Embassy in Kyiv resumes operations

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The US flag is hoisted again: return of the ambassadors to Kyiv

Photo: SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP

The US Embassy in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is reopening.

It was temporarily closed because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Additional measures have been taken to ensure the safety of colleagues returning to Kyiv, the US State Department said on Wednesday.

The US flag was hoisted.

"We are determined to meet the challenges ahead," said Department spokesman Ned Price.

Around three months ago, the USA had initially relocated its embassy business from the capital Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv (Lemberg) near the border with Poland.

Shortly before the outbreak of war, the embassy staff left for Poland.

Previously, it had already been reduced to an absolute minimum in Kyiv.

The US State Department had already ordered the families of diplomats to leave the US embassy in Kyiv at the end of January.

On May 8, US embassy chargé d'affaires Kristina Kvien and a small group of US diplomats traveled to Kyiv for the first time since the beginning of the war.

However, the visit did not mark the reopening of the embassy.

The US State Department said on Wednesday: “Now that day has come.

Today we officially resume operations at the US Embassy in Kyiv.«

"We proudly stand by and will continue to support the Ukrainian government and people who are defending their country against the Kremlin's brutal war of aggression," State Department spokesman Price said.

The war raged on.

However, the commitment to Ukraine is reaffirmed.

Even then, it was repeatedly made clear that, despite the relocation of the embassy, ​​they would continue to support Ukraine.

According to the Federal Foreign Office, the German Embassy in Kyiv also resumed operations in a limited form last week.

Before that, representations of the EU, France, Italy, Great Britain, Austria and other countries had already been reopened in Kyiv.

After the Russian military had initially invaded Ukraine from the north, south and east, the Russian troops in front of Kyiv withdrew again by early April.

Since then, Russia has increasingly concentrated on attacks in the east and south of the neighboring country.

bbr/dpa