Details of the plan, including the relocation of Zelensky and what conditions would prompt an evacuation have not been reported. Zelensky has been Ukraine's president since May of 2019. Before his foray into politics, he created and starred in a popular Ukrainian television show where he played the Ukrainian president.
Kiev is the largest city in Ukraine, with a population of nearly three million, and is located in the north-central part of the nation. The city sits on the Dnieper River and is approximately 236 miles from the Russian border and 95 miles from Belarus.
Reports of the United States and Ukraine formulating contingency plans in the event of a Russian "invasion" come on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin formally recognising the two breakaway states of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. The two eastern Ukraine regions have maintained their independence from Ukraine since 2014.
The move to recognise the two states added another layer of tension between Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and its NATO allies. For weeks, the United States, Ukraine, and NATO have pushed intelligence suggesting a Russian invasion of Ukraine was imminent.
Moscow has consistently denied the claims, and, thus far, an "imminent invasion" has yet to occur. The tensions have, however, seen the United States and Russia engage in talks on averting an armed conflict.
Russian and American officials have discussed Russian security concerns in the region, with NATO's eastern expansion and courtship of Ukraine a prime concern.
French President Emmanuel Macron earlier spoke with both US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin to organise a summit between the two leaders. The two parties agreed in principle to a meeting, but only if Ukraine is not invaded.