Canada withdraws non-essential staff from its embassy in Ukraine

People are silhouetted in front of the Canadian national flag at the Palais des Congres in Montreal, Quebec, Canada October 21, 2019. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Canada will temporarily withdraw non-essential Canadian employees and remaining dependents from its embassy in Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, amid an international standoff over Russian troops massed at the borders of the country.

“As we continue to monitor the situation closely, our top priority remains the safety and security of Canadians. Our officials stand ready to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens, as needed,” the department said in a statement.

The embassy in Kyiv remains open, he added.

Canada announced last week that it would bolster the Canadian embassy team with experts in security, conflict management, democratic reform and consular services.

“Together, they will increase our diplomatic capacity and allow us to continue to assess and respond to developments in support of Ukraine,” he said.

Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Chizu Nomiyama

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