U.S. suspends operations at embassy in Belarus, authorizes departure at embassy in Russia

Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2022 shows the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States, Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of State said in a statement Monday that it has suspended operations at the U.S. Embassy in Belarus and authorized the voluntary departure of "non-emergency" employees and family members at the U.S. Embassy in Russia.

The statement said Washington took these steps due to the ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.

The Washington Post, citing an administration official, first reported Sunday that the United States believes Belarus will send its troops into Ukraine to fight alongside Russian forces as soon as Monday.

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations arrived at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border for talks on Monday.