On 22 January 2022, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv requested the evacuation of non-essential personnel along with their families by the United States Department of State.[76] The State Department issued an advisory not to travel to Ukraine or Russia, citing ongoing tension along the Russia–Ukraine border and COVID-19.[77] Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko called the U.S. move as "premature" and a "display of excessive caution."[3] The source close to President Zelensky characterized the U.S. move as "utterly ridiculous".[12]