Biden urges Americans to leave Ukraine and says the military won't save them

They should leave on their own. Biden stated that Americans should evacuate now as Russia builds a military presence around its neighbor.

Biden made these remarks in an interviewwith Lester Holt of NBC News. Holt asked Biden what scenarios would trigger a U.S. mission to rescue Russia if they invade.

Biden stated, "There is not [one]". "That's the world war -- when Americans or Russians start shooting at each other, it's very different than any world we've ever lived in."

Biden stated that a military-run evacuation would prove extremely difficult, not to mention the difficulty of finding U.S. citizens in Ukraine.

Biden referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin and said, "I hope that if he's foolish sufficient to go in to do so, he is smart enough not in fact to do anything that would negatively affect American citizens."

Biden later added, "He knows that." "What I asked is that American citizens leave the country -- should they leave now?"

Biden contrasted the situation with the Taliban overthrow of Afghanistan. This saw the U.S. launch a long-running effort to fly U.S. citizens as well as some Afghans out of Afghanistan for several days.

Biden stated, "We're dealing avec one of the biggest armies in the globe." "This is a very unique situation and things could get crazy fast."

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department issued an " 4: Do not Travel" advisory to Ukraine. It stated that U.S. citizens living in Ukraine should "leave now by commercial or private means" due to the high risk of Russian military action. The advisory also mentioned Ukraine's "very high" level of COVID-19 cases.

The State Department advises that if you remain in Ukraine, you should exercise greater caution due to the possibility of crime, civil unrest and combat operations should Russia take military actions.

All non-essential staff at the European Union's diplomatic office in Ukraine are being asked to leave by the European Union. The U.K., Israel, and the Netherlands are asking citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible. They also ask those who plan to travel to Ukraine to abstain from doing so.

According to Russian media, Russia has deployed around 140,000 troops close to its border with Ukraine. Putin's military is currently participating in what's being described as its largest exercise since Cold War. It's doing joint maneuvers with Belarus. Russia also sent warships to the Black Sea for naval exercises. This raises fears about a possible blockade or invasion.

To ease tensions, Biden sent 2,000 U.S. soldiers to Europe last week to support its NATO allies. He also directed another 1,000 troops based in Germany that they move to Romania.

Belarus could be considered a part of Russia's invasion plan if it resists international pressure. The Center for Strategic and International Studies recently found that Russia's military could try to "outflank Ukrainian defenses around Kiev" by approaching Belarus.