U.S. tells diplomats' families to leave Ukraine, weighs troop options

A service member of the Ukrainian armed forces stands guard at combat positions near the line of separation from Russian-backed rebels near Horlivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, January 20, 2022. REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva

WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department announced Sunday 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.

The order, which also 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.