EUROPE SUMMONS RUSSIAN ENVOYS OVER KYIV STRIKE WARNINGS

The European Union and several European governments summoned Russian envoys Tuesday after Moscow warned foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of possible new strikes on the Ukrainian capital. Reuters reported that the EU, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden called in Russian representatives after Moscow said it planned strikes on what it described as Ukrainian military and “decision-making” targets in Kyiv.

The warning followed a call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Moscow said Lavrov informed Rubio that Russia planned strikes on Kyiv sites linked to Ukraine’s military, while also urging foreign missions and citizens to leave the city. Russia framed the warning as retaliation for a Ukrainian strike in Russian-controlled Luhansk that Moscow said killed civilians. Ukraine denied targeting civilians and said the strike hit a military command unit.

European officials rejected the warning as intimidation rather than a neutral safety notice. Reuters reported that the EU called the threat an “unacceptable escalation” and said its delegation would remain in Kyiv. AP also reported that the EU, French, and Polish missions publicly said they would not leave the capital.

The diplomatic response came as Russia continued air attacks across Ukraine. AP reported Tuesday that Russia launched more than 100 drones and two ballistic missiles overnight, while warning that a larger barrage against Kyiv could follow. Russia said it intended to strike military bunkers, command sites, and strategic facilities, not government offices. Ukraine and its partners remain concerned that the threat may be designed to create panic while normalizing heavier strikes on the capital.

Kyiv residents have largely treated the warning as another stage in Russia’s psychological pressure campaign. Reuters reported that many residents dismissed Moscow’s threat after years of missile and drone attacks, even as a recent heavy bombardment killed three people, wounded more than 90, and damaged hundreds of buildings.

The European reaction also reflects wider concern that Russia is trying to pressure not only Ukraine, but the foreign diplomatic presence supporting it. The Guardian reported that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Moscow of trying to destabilize Europe, while several governments summoned Russian diplomats over the Kyiv threats.

The immediate question is whether the warnings lead to a larger Russian strike campaign or remain part of a coercive pressure effort aimed at Kyiv and foreign missions. For Europe, the decision to keep diplomats in place is a political signal: Russia’s warnings will not automatically reduce diplomatic support for Ukraine inside its capital.

Fact-check date: 26 May 2026
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian

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