US reopens embassy in Ukraine

Washington, May 19

The US reopened its embassy in Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, three months after it ceased operation in anticipation that Russia would launch a military operation in the country.

"Today we are officially resuming operations at the US Embassy in Kyiv," Blinken added on Wednesday in a statement posted on the State Department's website.

Kyiv is the Romanised spelling of Ukraine's capital city based on the Ukrainian language.

The Secretary said the US will "continue to support the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country" in the ongoing war with Russia, Xinhua news agency reported.

The US, Blinken added, has taken "additional measures to increase the safety of our colleagues who are returning to Kyiv and (we) have enhanced our security measures and protocols".

The US embassy in Ukraine closed on February 14, 10 days before Russia launched the special military operation in the country.

The US began evacuating its embassy staff on February 12.

State Department personnel first relocated to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, and then left the country after Russian forces entered Ukraine to conduct the military operation.