Russian Call for Diplomats to Leave Kyiv Draws Western Backlash
António Guterres said the plan could deepen the war as nearly 50 countries condemned threats against embassies in Ukraine.
- On Tuesday, almost 50 UN member states delivered a joint statement through Ukrainian UN representative Andriy Melnyk condemning what they said were Russian threats against diplomatic institutions in Kyiv, stating: 'This is something which we cannot accept.'
- Moscow's call for diplomats to leave Kyiv came after launching a campaign of 'systematic' strikes announced Monday, following hundreds of drones and a hypersonic missile attack over the weekend, amid weeks of escalating military operations and frozen US-led peace talks.
- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday he was 'deeply concerned' by Russia's plans to strike Ukrainian defense enterprises, while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen emphasized Russia bore 'ultimate responsibility' for incidents affecting Baltic states experiencing 'air raid alerts, families sheltering, schools closing' in 2026.
- Rather than withdrawing, Western diplomatic missions defied Moscow's evacuation demand, with France declaring the move 'out of the question' while Germany and Norway summoned Russia's ambassador in protest, and Ukraine dismissing the threats as 'blackmail.'
- The multilateral rebuke from European countries, Japan, South Korea and others underscores mounting international concern as the four-year conflict shows no signs of resolution amid stalled diplomacy and military escalation across Europe's eastern border.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Russia threatens further attacks on Kiev and calls on diplomats to leave the city. We talk about what is behind it – and about a potential future scenario for NATO.
Former Russian President makes veiled warning to European diplomatic missions that Moscow claims to be at risk of being hit with attacks on decision-making centres in Kiev.
After the EU and the US challenged Russia by refusing to evacuate the embassies in Kiev, Russia's Vice-President of the Security Council, Dmitri Medvedev, reacted. The former Russian President claimed that the EU bloc would have "additional diplomas and must reduce its strength," reports The Hill.
Welcome to this live on Tuesday 26 May dedicated to the current situation of the conflict in Ukraine.
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