Belgium and France summon Russian envoys over Kyiv strike warnings
The latest diplomatic row follows similar actions by the EU, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, while Vladimir Putin signals openness to European mediation for ceasefire talks.
Belgium and France have summoned Russian ambassadors to formally protest Moscow’s warning for foreigners to leave Kyiv ahead of planned “systematic strikes”. The move marks the latest escalation in diplomatic tensions, following earlier summons by the European Union, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. Brussels and Paris condemned the directive as a violation of international law and the Vienna Convention, with Belgium Foreign Minister Maxim Prevot describing the threat as intimidation rather than diplomacy.
The diplomatic friction arises as Russian President Vladimir Putin stated he is ready to accept European Union mediation for ceasefire talks. This offer comes amid a broader shift in diplomatic dynamics, with the United States having pulled back from its previous mediation efforts. The EU has long pursued a policy of isolating Russia since the 2022 invasion, imposing sanctions and limiting high-level contacts, though some European officials now argue for readiness to engage in negotiations as the conflict enters its fifth year.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed the discussion within Europe regarding potential negotiators with Moscow as a positive development. However, many EU officials remain wary of engaging with Russia, citing concerns over Moscow’s sincerity. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss how to approach any potential future talks, even as the current diplomatic atmosphere is strained by the recent evacuation warnings.
On the ground, fighting has continued with significant intensity. Russian forces reported taking control of the villages of Hraniv in the Kharkiv region and Vozdvyzhivka in the Zaporizhia region. The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the planned strikes on Kyiv were in response to a Ukrainian drone attack on a student dorm in the occupied Luhansk region, a claim Ukraine has denied, asserting the strike targeted an elite drone command unit.
Civilian casualties and infrastructure damage were reported across multiple Ukrainian regions. In Kherson, shelling hit a playground, killing one person and injuring a mother and her two daughters, while drone strikes caused injuries in other districts. In Dnipropetrovsk, strikes damaged homes and sparked fires, with additional attacks wounding six people. The Sumy region also saw shelling that wounded a police officer and a civilian, while Russian regions of Belgorod and Krasnodor reported injuries from Ukrainian drone and missile activity.
