US Reopens Kyiv Embassy After Three-Month Closure, Says 'Committed To Confronting The Challenges Ahead'

Reaffirming its commitment to Ukraine, Blinken said, 'We stand proudly with, and continue to support, the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country"

New Delhi: The US embassy in Kyiv resumed operations Wednesday after almost three-month closure amid the raging Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"We are officially reopening operations," told spokesperson Daniel Langenkamp to news agency Reuters just before the US flag was raised above the embassy, and added that a small number of diplomats would return initially to staff the mission.

However, consular operations will not resume immediately and a no travel advisory from the State Department will continue to persist in places across Ukraine, informed Langenkamp.

In a press statement from the US Department of State, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “Three months ago, we lowered our flag over the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, just days before Russian forces streamed across Ukraine’s border to carry out President Putin’s unprovoked, unjustified war of choice.” 

On resuming operations, Blinken said, “Now, that day has come. Today we are officially resuming operations at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.  The Ukrainian people, with our security assistance, have defended their homeland in the face of Russia’s unconscionable invasion, and, as a result, the Stars and Stripes are flying over the Embassy once again.”

Reaffirming its commitment to Ukraine, Blinken added, “We stand proudly with, and continue to support, the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country from the Kremlin’s brutal war of aggression.”

"As we take this momentous step, we have put forward additional measures to increase the safety of our colleagues who are returning to Kyiv and have enhanced our security measures and protocols. We are committed to confronting the challenges ahead.  The war rages on.  Russia’s forces inflict death and destruction on Ukrainian soil every day", noted Blinken.  

Other western countries, including France, Germany and Britain have also reopened their embassies in Kyiv over the past month. This happened after Russian troops pulled back from Ukraine's north to shift focus on an offensive in the east of the country.

The US embassy was shut on February 14, almost 10 days before Russia launched a full-scale invasion.

During the initial two months, embassy staff lived in Poland, but Charge d’Affaires Kristina Kvien returned to the country on May 2 after visiting the western city of Lviv.