Di Maio made the announcement following a meeting of the foreign ministry’s crisis response unit dedicated to the situation in Ukraine, amid warnings from Western powers that an invasion by Russia could be imminent.
The minister said the advice was “precautionary” and added that his ministry has decided to “bring back all the non-essential staff from our embassy in Kiev, which obviously remains fully operational”.
“We are working to avoid an escalation of the Ukraine crisis,” Di Maio stated.
“Italy fully recognises the territorial integrity of Ukraine and is committed in close collaboration with its NATO and EU allies in defining a firm position and – at the same time – in pursuing a diplomatic solution to the crisis by maintaining channels of dialogue with Moscow, in the hope that concrete signs of de-escalation will arrive.”
Russia has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s border, who could invade at any moment, according to AAP.
The invitation for Italians to leave Ukraine follows similar calls from the US, UK, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands and Australia in issuing warnings to their citizens still in the country.
“Our advice is clear, this is a dangerous situation ... you should seek to make your way out of Ukraine,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday.
There are around 2000 Italians currently present in Ukraine, according to Italian state broadcaster RAI.
