With the situation worsening along the Ukrainian border, the Foreign Ministry has advised all Danes to leave the country.
It has also raised its travel advice security level to red. This means that all travel to Ukraine is advised against.
At the time of writing is still possible to leave Ukraine by regular air, road and rail transport.
In its statement, the ministry said: “It is not possible to say whether or when these possibilities may be reduced, and Danes in Ukraine are therefore encouraged to leave the country. The Danish authorities cannot guarantee assistance to Danes who choose to remain in Ukraine at a later stage.”
Reducing embassy staff
The Danish Embassy in Kyiv will stay open and operational for the time being to allow contact with the Ukrainian government and continue Danish assistance to the country.
“However, the embassy’s ability to assist Danes in Ukraine may be reduced both substantially and suddenly depending on developments in the country,” said the ministry.
All Danes and persons legally residing in Denmark are encouraged to register immediately on Foreign Ministry’s so-called Danish list and to unsubscribe after leaving Ukraine. This list will help the ministry to have an accurate picture of how many people are still in Ukraine.
Exposing Russian plans
This security level change comes around the same time as the US declassifying information about what could be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s next move.
According to the US authorities, an invasion of Ukraine could happen later this week – justified by a video that allegedly shows atrocities perpetrated by Ukrainian soldiers.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitri S Peskov, dismissed allegations that the video is fake.
“This isn’t the first report of its kind,” he said, according to the New York Times. “Similar things have been claimed before. But nothing ever came of them.”