A growing number of countries are encouraging their citizens to leave Ukraine.
So far, China, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Egypt, and India have all asked their citizens to leave Ukraine. This comes after a wave of civilian bombings by the Russians on an early Monday morning last week that also targeted critical Ukrainian infrastructure.
Once a part of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has been critical of Russia's invasion and has not recognized the annexation of the eastern provinces by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The employees of the Kazakh Embassy in Ukraine will be evacuated in coming days," representative of the Kazakh Foreign Embassy Aibek Smadiyarov said, according to KazInform. "The embassy continues its work. The point at issue is the evacuation of the embassy staff, not the closing down of the embassy. This issue will be solved over the next few days."
But most recently, on Sunday, China called for its citizens to leave Ukraine, according to China Daily.
The call comes amid growing concern that the war is facing increased escalation as Ukrainians are expected to take the Russian-controlled city of Kherson in the next two weeks. Some experts believe it may cause a rash and violent reaction by Putin.
On Thursday, Vladimir Saldo, the de facto head of the Kherson region installed by Moscow, asked the Kremlin for assistance in evacuating civilians in the area.
"I am addressing the leadership of [Russia]. I'd like to ask you for help in organizing this," he stated, according to the Financial Times, adding that Moscow was recommending evacuation primarily to people living on the western side of the Dnipro River, where Ukrainian forces are pressing forward.
Still, Saldo said the offer was open to all residents: "We know that Russia doesn't abandon its own." The phrase is used as a talking point by Moscow, alluding to the Russian speakers there.
Amid the nuclear rhetoric, according to The Washington Times, a nuclear pact between Ukraine and China could be put to the test. On Dec. 5, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych signed a pact pledging that China's nuclear forces would defend Ukraine from nuclear threats. The pact described the two nations as "strategic partners."
"China pledges unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against the nuclear-free Ukraine, and China further pledges to provide Ukraine nuclear security guarantee when Ukraine encounters an invasion involving nuclear weapons or Ukraine is under threat of a nuclear invasion," a joint statement from the treaty read.
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