The State Department urged all U.S. citizens to leave Russia and Ukraine

The State Department has updated recommendations for US citizens regarding travel to Russia and Ukraine, demanding that all Americans leave the territory of both countries. As State Department spokesman Ned Price explained, this is because Russian intelligence agencies have begun targeting and detaining Americans in Russia and Ukraine.

“For these reasons, we are warning U.S. citizens that Russian intelligence officials in both Russia and Ukraine may be targeting U.S. citizens,” Price said. – Our updated travel advisories now reflect this information. We reiterate that all U.S. citizens in Russia and Ukraine should leave immediately.”

Price recalled that in recent weeks Putin has “clearly made several miscalculations.” “He miscalculated that his forces could enter Ukraine without meeting stiff resistance from the Ukrainian people. He miscalculated if he thought his forces could take major urban centers like Kiev within 48 or 72 hours. He miscalculated if he thought we were bluffing when we said we would inflict huge and unprecedented consequences on the Russian economy and financial system, and he miscalculated if he thought his actions would not bring his country pariah status,” Price said.

Putin’s demand that foreign buyers pay for Russian gas in rubles is a sign of Moscow’s economic and financial “desperation” caused by Western sanctions.

“In fact, I think it’s just another sign of the dire straits the Russian economy is in,” Ned Price said. He said sanctions, export controls and other economic measures imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have had a “significant, substantial, profound impact” and have led to “economic and financial desperation” on Moscow’s part.