US hopes to return diplomats to Kyiv by end of month

LVIV: The US hopes its diplomats will be able to return to Ukraine's capital Kyiv, where Washington closed its embassy days before the Russian invasion, "by the end of the month", embassy charge d'affaires Kristina Kvien said Monday.

"We very much hope that conditions will permit us to go back to Kyiv by the end of the month," Kvien said at a press conference in the western city of Lviv.  

The US closed its embassy in Kyiv on February 14, ten days before Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, and moved its diplomats westwards.

Kvien said she and her staff were "working day and night in Poland" to "help Ukraine win this war."

She was in Ukraine on a "day trip" and said US diplomats will "continue to do day trips for the next week or two" to Ukraine.

"We're thrilled to be back. And we will continue our efforts to do everything possible here on the ground to help Ukraine win this war".

The US diplomat said her "number one priority is the safety and security of my staff."

"We listen to the security professionals. If they tell us to go back, we'll go back" to Kyiv.

Western countries are gradually moving to reinstate a diplomatic presence in Kyiv, where Ukrainian forces have rebuffed a Russian offensive.

Speaking next to the mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadoviy, Kvien said that, nine weeks into the war, it was clear Russian President Vladimir Putin had "made a miscalculation" in Ukraine. 

The announcement came after the Joe Biden had proposed a huge $33 billion aid package to Ukraine and after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.