- The Russian Foreign Ministry said it would pull its diplomats out of Ukraine "in the very near future."
- Pulling diplomats out of Ukraine is a sign that further violence is very likely if not a given.
- The US and other Western nations have already relocated their embassies from Kyiv.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it's pulling its diplomats out of Ukraine, a move that comes as the US and its European allies warn of a large-scale invasion following Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to order troops into disputed regions of Ukraine, CNN reported.
"To protect their lives and safety, the Russian leadership has decided to evacuate the personnel of Russian foreign missions in Ukraine, a measure that will be implemented in the very near future," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, CNN's Alexander Marquardt reported.
President Joe Biden and other top officials have warned that Russia could use fears of violence or the banner of a peacekeeping mission as a way to further escalate tensions or defend a large-scale invasion.
Russia's decision to remove its diplomats strongly suggests that Moscow will further escalate tensions and potential attacks in the country. The US State Department and many other Western countries have already moved diplomatic operations from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to Lviv, a city much closer to the Ukraine-Poland border.
American officials went even further on Monday by ordering US diplomats to commute to Lviv from Poland. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the decision was made due to "security reasons" and that officials would "regularly return to continue their diplomatic work."
Biden is scheduled to address the nation on Tuesday afternoon.