Russia Warns U.S. to Evacuate Embassy Before Kyiv Strikes
Russia announced plans for systematic military strikes on Kyiv following Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory and warned foreign missions to evacuate personnel from Ukraine's capital.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio received a direct call from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday while traveling to India, according to Breitbart News. During the conversation, the senior Russian diplomat reportedly complained about European involvement in the conflict and advised Washington to withdraw its personnel from Kyiv.
According to the Kremlin’s official readout of the call, Lavrov informed Rubio that Moscow would begin systematic and consistent strikes against military sites and corresponding decision-making centres in Kiev in response to what Russia characterized as continued Ukrainian attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure within Russian territory.
Tit-for-Tat Strikes Escalate
Both nations have consistently accused each other of targeting civilian areas while maintaining their own operations focus solely on legitimate military objectives. Recent Ukrainian drone operations have successfully struck a Russian oil depot that serves as a critical fuel supplier to Moscow’s military forces. Additional Ukrainian strikes have disabled water and power infrastructure in Russia’s Belgorod region, which shares a direct border with Ukraine.
Moscow stated it contacted the United States specifically to facilitate the evacuation of American diplomatic staff and other U.S. citizens from the Ukrainian capital ahead of the planned retaliatory strikes.
Rubio Warns Against Escalation
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force Three, Rubio dismissed the Russian warning, noting that danger in Kyiv is nothing new. The Secretary of State emphasized the risk of the conflict expanding beyond its current scope, as Breitbart News reports.
The top American diplomat highlighted that the Ukraine war has now exceeded the duration of World War II and stressed the urgent need for resolution. He affirmed that Washington remains committed to facilitating peace, stating the U.S. is prepared to play a constructive role in bringing the conflict to an end, though he provided no specific details on American peace initiatives.
Moscow’s Broader Grievances
The Kremlin readout indicated Lavrov also lodged complaints about European involvement in the war during his conversation with Rubio. Russia has long sought to isolate Ukraine from its Western allies by framing the conflict as a bilateral matter between Moscow and Kyiv, arguing that European nations are exploiting the war for their own benefit by supplying aid to Ukraine. In this instance, Moscow characterized European support as the work of elitist leadership undermining peace efforts.
The call between the two foreign ministers also reportedly covered issues related to Cuba and Iran.
Diplomatic Missions Stand Firm
Rubio’s visible shoulder shrug captured by news cameras made clear that Washington has no intention of heeding Russia’s evacuation advice. Other diplomatic missions have adopted a similar stance of defiance.
European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová announced her mission would remain in place, declaring that Russia seeks to create fear, panic, and isolation but that the EU is staying with Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to foreign diplomatic missions for their solidarity and rejected Russian threats as shameless blackmail. The ministry characterized Moscow’s warning as an admission that its strikes intentionally target and intimidate the international diplomatic community, which Ukrainian officials said will serve as evidence in future international legal proceedings against Russia.
With information from Breitbart News
