In the face of an increasing threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Australia announced on Sunday that it was withdrawing its embassy in Kyiv. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the situation had reached a “dangerous” point. He also chastised China for failing to stand up for Ukraine.
This comes after Beijing chastised Canberra for hosting a meeting of the foreign ministers of the United States, Australia, Japan, and India last week.
“The Chinese government is eager to criticise Australia for participating in such harmless activities, but is eerily silent about Russian forces massing on the Ukrainian border. The current alliance of autocracies attempting to coerce other countries is not something Australia, and certainly not my administration, has ever taken lightly.”
Due to the destabilising situation, the US has also ordered the majority of its embassy workers to leave Kyiv.
It also deployed extra weapons and ammunition to Kiev as part of a $200 million security package on Sunday.
Meanwhile, security troops in Ukraine’s south conducted manoeuvres geared at preventing possible provocations along the border with Russian-annexed Crimea.
The Kremlin has also initiated naval manoeuvres near the Crimean peninsula, according to Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA.
Moscow rejects any intention of invading, claiming that it is defending itself against NATO partners.
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