INTERNATIONAL: The U.S. State Department has issued an announcement on Sunday that it was ordering diplomats' family members to leave Ukraine, as U.S. President Joe Biden weighed options for boosting America's military assets in Eastern Europe to counter a buildup of Russian troops.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has made a statement on Monday ,January 24 that U.S. step to move their diplomats' families out of Kyiv is "premature and a manifestation of excessive caution."

The order, which has allowed U.S. diplomats stationed at the embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to leave voluntarily, was one of the clearest signs yet that American officials are bracing for an aggressive Russian move in the region.

"Military action by Russia could come at any time," the U.S. Embassy has said in a statement. Officials "will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in such a contingency, so U.S. citizens currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly," it added.

The British Embassy in Ukraine has also said on Monday that some staff and dependants were being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to "a growing threat from Russia."

Although the British Embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work.

Tensions in Ukraine have been increasing for months after the Kremlin massed some 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders, a dramatic buildup the West says is preparation for a war to prevent Ukraine from ever joining the NATO Western security alliance.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied planning to invade, but the Russian military already tore off a chunk of Ukrainian territory when it seized Crimea and backed separatist forces who took control of large parts of eastern Ukraine eight years ago.