The United States is closing the US Embassy in Kyiv and “temporarily relocating” the small number of remaining diplomatic personnel in the country to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, “due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday.

“I have ordered these measures for one reason -- the safety of our staff -- and we strongly urge any remaining US citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately,” Blinken said in a statement.

The moves come days after the US ordered the vast majority of US government employees to leave the country and announced that consular services at the US Embassy would be suspended as of Sunday amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion, even as US officials stressed they remain committed to trying to find a diplomatic outcome.

Although Moscow has said it is open to negotiation, State Department spokesperson Ned Price noted Monday that “it remains unclear to us whether Russia is interested in pursuing a diplomatic path as opposed to the use of force.”_CNN