By John Ikani
President Joe Biden has urged US citizens to leave Ukraine immediately as fears over a possible Russian invasion mount.
“American citizens should leave now,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt.
“It’s not like we’re dealing with a terrorist organization. We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation, and things could go crazy quickly,” he said.
Holt asked Biden what scenario could prompt him to send troops to rescue Americans fleeing the country. Biden replied: “There’s not. That’s a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another.”
“We’re in a very different world than we’ve ever been.”
Biden’s warning comes as Russia began a 10-day program of military exercises with its neighbor Belarus on Thursday. NATO estimated 30,000 Russian troops were taking part, marking Moscow’s biggest military deployment in Belarus since the Cold War.
The drills, widely seen as a display of strength by Russia, come as around 130,000 soldiers, tanks, missiles, and even fresh blood supplies have been moved to its border with Ukraine, according to NBC News. Russia is demanding that Ukraine never be permitted to become a member of the NATO military alliance and has said it wants the organization to roll back its presence in Eastern Europe.
Russia has insisted it has no plans to invade Ukraine.
Ukraine also accused Russia on Thursday of creating a sea blockade, the BBC reported. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reportedly claimed the Sea of Azov was completely congested, while the Black Sea was being blocked by Russian forces as they prepared for naval drills next week.
Britain, the US, France and others have been trying to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis in recent days, but little progress appears to have been made.
Troops from NATO countries have been sent to eastern European and Baltic states in case Russia attacks, while weapons have been sent to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Biden said that if Putin is “foolish enough to go in, he’s smart enough not to, in fact, do anything that would negatively impact on American citizens”.
When asked if he had told Mr Putin that “Americans will be a line that (Russia) can’t cross”, Biden said: “I didn’t have to tell him that – I’ve spoken about that, he knows that.”
