Canada withdraws diplomats' families in Ukraine

Ottawa, Jan 26 (IANS) Canada has decided to withdraw its diplomats' family members in Ukraine, according to a statement issued by the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry.

"Due to the ongoing Russian military buildup and destabilising activities in and around Ukraine, we have decided to temporarily withdraw Canadian embassy staff's children under 18 years of age and family members accompanying them," said the statement on Tuesday.

On Monday, Canada updated its travel advisory suggesting any non-essential Canadians should leave Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Canadian decision came after the US and Britain began withdrawing embassy and diplomatic staff from Ukraine over the weekend, amid heightened concerns of a potential Russian-Ukrainian conflict.