State Department Personnel Stationed in Ukraine Return to U.S., Core Team Remains in Poland
Several U.S. diplomats stationed in Ukraine have returned to Washington after first relocating from Kyiv to Lviv and then from Lviv to an undisclosed and temporary location in Poland. According to State department officials, the evacuated personnel are set to assist in addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine remotely on a 400-person task force.
At present, a core team of personnel remains in Poland in addition to the 100 foreign service officers in Moscow. It is unclear how long U.S. personnel remain at their posts.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken ordered the evacuation of embassy staff families in Ukraine, and authorized federal employees to depart on a voluntary basis in late January. The department further reduced staff to just those performing essential services on February 11 and ordered the rest to leave immediately. Subsequently, Secretary Blinken announced that the department was temporarily moving the embassy and remaining personnel to Poland in response to Russia's increased military presence.
Federal employees evacuated to Washington are largely living in hotels paid for by the department and are entitled to receive reimbursements, but those benefits are set to expire after 90 days. Further, these individuals have voiced difficulties finding childcare and concerns about pets and other possessions left behind. A recent payroll system glitch left many foreign service officers short on parts of their pay, further adding to their stress.
While State Department personnel constituted the majority of effected federal employees, a dozen other agencies with presence in Kiev had to evacuate their staff as well. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) recently expressed support for all federal personnel, including Diplomatic Security Service Agents and Federal Bureau Investigations Legal Attachés operating in Ukraine.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is urging agencies to provide additional support to federal employees in need, as well as assistance to locally employed staff at the American Embassy in Kiev.
“We don’t doubt that it’s not easy for President Biden, for the administration, for allied governments, but what we’re saying is we’ve got to support our people, in the field and in Washington,” stated AFSA President and veteran diplomat Eric Rubin, “This is shocking and scary and we’re going to do everything we can to support our colleagues, and do what we can to support both the U.S. government and our allies.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price, who spoke during a briefing on Friday, indicated officials are exploring all avenues available to support locally employed individuals.
On February 28, Secretary Blinken suspended operations at the American Embassy in Minsk, Belarus, and authorized the departure of non-essential employees and family members at the Embassy in Moscow.