The United States has opened a welcome centre in Poland near the border with Ukraine to provide assistance to its citizens leaving the country amid continuing concerns over Russian military action.
Like a number of other countries, last week the US advised its citizens in Ukraine to depart immediately by commercial or other private transport. Those choosing to cross the land border into Poland are encouraged to use the Korczowa-Krakovets or Medyka-Shehyni crossings.
Poland has opened its border to Americans seeking to leave Ukraine amid Russia's military buildup.
The US embassy in Kyiv has advised US citizens to leave the country https://t.co/5UWC7UwfPw
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 13, 2022
Americans may enter Poland from Ukraine without any advanced approval. The US embassy also reminds them that they should generally present a valid US passport and proof of Covid vaccination, and are also encouraged to present a negative test result.
US citizens arriving in Poland in this way and requiring assistance are invited to visit the welcome centre, which is housed at a hotel in the city of Przemyśl, 13 km (8 miles) from Medyka and 40 km (25 miles) from Korczowa.
Staff will be available 24 hours a day, although outside the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. people needing help are asked to call a special telephone number (+48 539 147 850).
U.S. citizens traveling to Poland by land from Ukraine: Embassy Welcome Center at the SPA Gloria Hotel in Przemyśl, near Korczowa-Krakovets and Medyka-Shehyni border crossings, is available to assist U.S. citizens 24 hours a day. For more information: https://t.co/1RtAwOL5OJ
— US Embassy Warsaw (@USEmbassyWarsaw) February 15, 2022
The United States is offering similar assistance to citizens leaving Ukraine across its land borders with Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova.
Those who choose to stay in the country are asked to complete an online form to facilitate contact and warned that the US government will not be able to evacuate them in the event of Russian action.
The US also offers consular services to its citizens in Poland at its embassy in Warsaw as well as its consulate general in Kraków and the consular agency in Poznań.
Polish MFA now advising against non-essential travel to #Ukraine in light of the current security situation. https://t.co/2FNifSoDrU
— Adam Reichardt (@areichardt) February 12, 2022
Some Americans have also been arriving in Poland by air. NPR reports on Meghan Neville, a US citizen living in Ukraine who was initially uncertain about what to do. She was told by her Ukrainian friends that “it’s nothing new for us…just Russia being Russia”.
But she decided to leave with her Ukrainian boyfriend after hearing President Joe Biden’s statement on Thursday. They boarded a plane to Poland the next day.
“There weren’t very many planes leaving, but the ones that were leaving were pretty packed. Ours was completely booked,” Neville told NPR, adding that the couple are “very relieved to be feeling safe in Warsaw and sad to leave Ukraine”.
Although warnings of an imminent Russian invasion are yet to materialise and Moscow says it has begun to withdraw some of its troops from the border region, western officials say the threat remains. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today noted that there has not been any de-escalation seen on the ground.
Poland is also preparing for a large influx of Ukrainians in the event of an invasion, with the interior ministry saying last month that up to one million refugees could arrive.
Over the last week, Polish regional governors have sent mayors of local authorities urgent requests for information on their capacity to accommodate people fleeing a potential war.
Main image credit: Jakub Orzechowski / Agencja Gazeta
Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.
