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Following Russia’s latest threats to carry out “systemic” strikes on Kyiv, the European Union summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires to protest the statements and demand an end to attacks on civilians.
European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said that threats directed at foreign citizens and diplomats urging them to leave Kyiv represent “an unacceptable escalation.”
“The European Union has summoned the chargé d’affaires, calling for an end to attacks on civilians and for the launch of genuine peace negotiations, beginning with a full and unconditional ceasefire,” Hipper stated.
She also emphasized that the European Union’s delegation to Ukraine continues to operate in Kyiv.
The EU reaction followed remarks by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who said that strikes on Kyiv “have been and will continue to be carried out.”
Later, during a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly warned about further strikes on Kyiv and urged diplomats to evacuate.
Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation Andriy Kovalenko described the statements as an open announcement of terror against civilians.
Meanwhile, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said that diplomats and foreign citizens do not intend to leave Kyiv because of Russian threats.
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War previously argued that the Kremlin’s threats are aimed less at responding to Ukrainian actions and more at diverting attention from Russia’s own military and political setbacks.
