Brussels condemns Russia’s warning for diplomatic missions to leave the Ukrainian capital as an “unacceptable escalation,” while European embassies vow to stay.
The European Union has summoned Russia’s top diplomat in Brussels after Moscow warned foreign citizens and diplomatic personnel to leave Kyiv ahead of threatened new strikes on the Ukrainian capital, a move European officials denounced as intimidation and a dangerous escalation in the war.
The diplomatic protest came after Russia’s Foreign Ministry said its forces were preparing “systematic” strikes against Ukrainian military-industrial facilities and so-called “decision-making centres” in Kyiv. Moscow urged foreign nationals, including diplomats and staff of international organisations, to leave the city “as soon as possible.”
The warning followed one of the heaviest Russian bombardments of Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The attack left at least two people dead and more than 90 wounded, while Deutsche Welle reported that Russia framed the strikes as retaliation for Ukrainian long-range drone attacks.
Brussels responded sharply. EU spokesperson Anitta Hipper said Russia’s threat to foreign citizens and diplomats was an “unacceptable escalation” and confirmed that Russia’s charge d’affaires had been summoned in Brussels. The EU also demanded that Moscow stop hitting civilians and engage in genuine peace talks.
Several European governments joined the protest. Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden were among the countries that summoned Russian envoys following Moscow’s warning, according to Reuters. Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it would not be intimidated and would continue supporting Ukraine.
The message from European diplomats in Kyiv was equally firm: they are not leaving. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova rejected Moscow’s call for foreign missions to evacuate, saying Western diplomats would remain in the Ukrainian capital despite the threat of further strikes.
For Ukraine and its allies, Moscow’s warning is seen not as a humanitarian precaution but as psychological pressure. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha dismissed the Russian message as “shameless blackmail,” while Kyiv has argued that the Kremlin is trying to intimidate Ukraine’s international partners and weaken diplomatic support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government.
The warning also carries symbolic weight. Diplomatic missions in Kyiv have become a visible sign of Western commitment to Ukraine. Many embassies temporarily relocated or reduced operations at the start of Russia’s 2022 invasion, but their return to the capital was intended to signal that Ukraine remained politically and diplomatically supported despite the war.
Russia’s latest threat therefore strikes directly at that symbolism. By urging diplomats to leave, Moscow is not only warning of possible military escalation; it is also trying to create the image of an unsafe and abandoned capital. European officials appear determined to deny the Kremlin that victory.
The incident also comes amid heightened tensions across Europe’s eastern flank. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Moscow was seeking to “destabilise” Europe, while NATO announced new measures to strengthen defence readiness in the Baltic region.
Moscow, meanwhile, has defended its threat of further strikes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly raised the issue in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging Washington and other states with missions in Kyiv to evacuate their personnel.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also mocked the EU’s decision to keep its diplomats in Kyiv, making comments that European observers interpreted as a further sign of Moscow’s willingness to use intimidation against foreign missions.
The standoff underlines how the war in Ukraine is increasingly being fought not only on the battlefield, but also through diplomatic pressure, psychological operations and direct threats aimed at Ukraine’s international support network.
For the EU, the response is a test of resolve. Leaving Kyiv could be seen as yielding to Russian coercion. Staying carries risk but reinforces the message that Europe will not allow Moscow to dictate the presence of foreign missions in Ukraine’s capital.
The summons of the Russian envoy is therefore more than a formal protest. It is a warning from Brussels that threats against diplomats cross a line — and that Europe intends to maintain its presence in Kyiv despite Russia’s attempt to force a retreat.
