Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday addressed the nation and said decisions made Monday in a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council show that "everything is under control, there is no reason to panic."

People should not be anxious because the situation in eastern Ukraine is "under control," Zelensky said, adding that "embassies of EU countries and many others have kept all their employees in Ukraine. The fact that some countries are taking out some of their diplomats does not mean an inevitable escalation at all; these are subtleties of a complex diplomatic game."

Canada decided to withdraw its diplomats' family members in Ukraine on Tuesday.

"Due to the ongoing Russian military buildup and destabilizing 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," a statement issued by the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry said.