WASHINGTON – The State Department recommended Sunday that all U.S. citizens in Ukraine depart the country immediately, citing Russia’s extraordinary military buildup on the border.

A senior State Department official stated Sunday night that Americans currently in Ukraine should leave now, using private or commercial transportation options.

Over the past months, the West has witnessed an amazing deployment of Russian equipment and forces to its borders with Ukraine.

This buildup was triggered by Russia’s 2014 annexe of Crimea (a peninsula in the Black Sea), which caused a worldwide uproar and led to a number of sanctions being imposed on Moscow. Russia was also expelled from the Group of 8 (or G-8), which refers to eight of the world’s largest economies, following the seizure of Crimea.

The official said that security conditions are unstable and could change quickly, especially along Ukraine’s borders and in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Second, a senior State Department official claimed that the United States was able to give an accurate number of U.S. citizens who are currently residing in Ukraine or those traveling there.

The official explained that U.S. citizens do not have to travel to foreign countries and does not keep a complete list.

Eligible applicants were also ordered by the State Department family members of personnel at its embassy in Kyiv to leaveDue to the worsening security conditions, the country will be forced out of business.

This latest information comes just two days after Washington and Moscow had held face-to-face discussions.

On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed his Russian counterpart that the Kremlin was able to defuse tensions regarding a possible invasion. The Kremlin can remove 100,000 soldiers and other equipment from Ukraine’s borders.

Blinken was accompanied by Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister. This meeting took place as Western officials included President Joe BidenAccording to them, they anticipate Moscow invading Ukraine. U.S. intelligence indicated Russia could attack within a month’s time.

Blinken claimed that America isn’t convinced by Russia’s claims it isn’t planning to invade its ex Soviet neighbor.

Following a 90 minute meeting in Geneva with Lavrov, Blinken stated that Russia would like to prove to the world its non-aggression toward Ukraine.

Blinken stated that Russia will face a united, swift and severe response to all forms of aggression from Russia towards Ukraine. This includes all allies and partners.

Russian officials continue to call on America not to expand NATO eastward, the largest military alliance in the globe, as they have done repeatedly.

Russia has also demanded that the U.S. “shall not establish military bases” in the territories of any former Soviet states that are not already members of NATO, or “use their infrastructure for any military activities or develop bilateral military cooperation with them.”

Ukraine sought NATO entry in 2002. where the group’s Article 5 clause states that an attack on one member country is considered an attack on all of them.

Blinken answered Friday’s question about these demands by stating that both the NATO alliance and the U.S. would not agree to terms of membership with the Kremlin.

We need legally binding, ironclad and waterproof guarantees. Not assurances, not safeguards, but guarantees,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters during a Jan. 10 press conference.