The White House has stayed tight-lipped about how many Americans are in Ukraine.
However, they advised on Friday that all Americans should evacuate within the next 24 to 48 hours, as the possibility of Russian aggression grows.
Don’t Make the Mistake of Staying
“If you stay, you are taking a risk. There is no guarantee there will be another opportunity to evacuate; there is no possibility of a US military evacuation in the case of Russian aggression,” White House security advisor Jake Sullivan said.
“If a Russian battle on Ukraine proceeds, it will very definitely begin with aerial barrage and rocket attacks that may clearly kill civilians, regardless of ethnicity.”
“An onslaught of a vast force would be unleashed with absolutely no warning,” he continued. “Once military activity began, no one will be able to rely on air, train, or road departures.”
WHITE HOUSE: Russia will likely invade Ukraine next week.
BIDEN, 30 MINUTES LATER: pic.twitter.com/z95JH82cBp
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 11, 2022
The State Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiries, instead referring to a January briefing in which communications director Ned Price commented, “We normally do not give numbers of US residents living in or visiting another nation.”
According to estimates obtained from the consulate in October, there were anything between 6,000 to 16,000 US citizens in Ukraine, including tourists and visitors.
Not everybody registers with the embassy after they arrive; the administration claims it is too difficult to offer specific numbers on the majority of Americans in another country.
Furthermore, even if they leave the country after being urged to do so, they may not always remember to tell the embassy. However, claims have surfaced, asserting that between 23,000 and 30,000 Americans are likely to be in Ukraine.
“What I can do is sit in front of the international media and convey a very strong message to all citizens and anyone in Ukraine,” Sullivan said on Friday. “Get out by taking advantage of a business option.”
Americans who require logistical assistance should contact the embassy right away.
The Army Won’t Save You
“The administration will not deploy our men and women in uniform into a war zone to find survivors who might have left now, but decided not to,” the national security adviser stated.
Trump warned us about Biden, Ukraine, and Russia. And they impeached him. https://t.co/vHcxoXlH4E
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) February 12, 2022
The United States and NATO have deployed soldiers to NATO-member countries, such as Poland and Romania, which border Ukraine. These forces, according to Sullivan, will be “protective” in character and will safeguard NATO territory.
He stated, “They are not going to fight with Russia.” The caution to Americans comes after similar warnings from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Israel earlier this week.
Russia has been gathering soldiers along Ukraine’s borders for weeks, but US officials raised the stakes once more. They are warning a military takeover is imminent, a tone that they stepped back from only last week.
