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Leave now say allies as US warns Russia could invade Ukraine soon; Moscow launches major drills
- Allies urge nationals to leave Ukraine as Biden and Putin set to discuss the crisis by phone on Saturday, saying Russia could invade any day now
- On Saturday, more than 30 ships from the Russian Black Sea fleet started training exercises near the Crimea peninsula as part of wider navy drills
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British nationals are being urged to leave Ukraine immediately and those who choose to stay should not expect a military evacuation if conflict with Russia breaks out, junior Defence Minister James Heappey said on Saturday.
“British nationals should leave Ukraine immediately by any means possible and they should not expect, as they saw in the summer with Afghanistan, that there would be any possibility of a military evacuation,” he said. “There will be no British troops in Ukraine if there is any conflict with Russia,” Heappey added.
The announcement comes as US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were set to speak on Saturday as Western nations warned that a war in Ukraine could ignite at any moment.
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Several US allies including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Denmark also asked their citizens to leave Ukraine.
02:38
‘We’re scared’: fear and uncertainty on Ukraine’s front lines
‘We’re scared’: fear and uncertainty on Ukraine’s front lines
As diplomatic options for averting war in Ukraine appeared to narrow, the White House said President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin would discuss the crisis by phone on Saturday.
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