On Friday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a clear call to all Norwegian citizens to leave Ukraine.
The very tense situation worries John Gunnar Haugenes (47) and cohabitant Viktoriia Denysiuk.
– We simply do not feel safe enough to sleep in the apartment in Kiev tonight. Now we pack our things, while we wait for the laundry to be finished. After that we will get in the car and drive, Haugenes tells TV 2.
Escape to small village
The couple will drive to Viktoria’s parents, who live in a small village 160 km outside the Ukrainian capital. They have already sought refuge there for a couple of weeks, but the hope was to get back to the city.
At 15 Norwegian time, John Gunnar and Viktoriia arrived at the apartment in Kiev, with a plan to be able to be there for some time to come. Then came the message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
– We almost turned in the door when we received the message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and read that Russia can possibly invade Ukraine before the Olympics are over. We have not completely decided whether we will go home to Norway yet. It will be a minute-by-minute decision.
– It is a bit difficult to say with certainty how things will develop, but we at least feel a little safer in the countryside, says Haugenes.
Very tense situation
The situation at Ukraine’s borders is very tense. Russia has sent over 100,000 troops to the border. For several weeks, a number of heads of state have discussed the situation and tried to dampen the level of tension between the two countries.
– Russia can invade Ukraine at any time. We can not say exactly when, but we can say that it is entirely possible that Russia will invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics, says US national security adviser Jake Sulivan at a press conference on Friday.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs sharpened Friday travel councils to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. At the same time, they ask all Norwegian citizens to come home. The new councils come into force immediately.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also advises against all travel to or stay in Russia closer than 250 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. They also advise against all travel to all of Belarus, except the capital Minsk.
– It is a serious and unpredictable security situation that can change quickly. We have a close dialogue with our allies about the situation. Therefore, we now advise against all travel to Ukraine, and we encourage Norwegian citizens to leave the country, says Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor) at a press conference on Friday night.
– CLEAR CALL: Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt urges Norwegians in Ukraine to leave the country. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB
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She says it is still possible to travel out of Ukraine using regular scheduled flights and ordinary transport, but emphasizes that this may change.
Several countries are asking their citizens to leave the country
On Thursday, the United States updated its travel advice and urged all Americans to leave the country.
– Do not travel to Ukraine as a result of increased threats from Russian military activity and covid-19, while those who are in Ukraine should leave the country now with commercial flights or private solutions, it says in the travel council.
The United States has previously advised against all unnecessary travel to Ukraine.
Over the past 24 hours, South Korea, England, the Netherlands and Denmark have also asked their citizens to leave the country.
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