EU and Germany summon Russian envoys over Kyiv strikes and diplomatic threats

The European Union and Germany summoned Russian diplomatic representatives on Tuesday to register formal protests against recent Russian bombardments of Kyiv and the Kremlin’s directive for foreign diplomats to leave the city. The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, had her Charge d’Affaires called in to Brussels, while Germany’s Foreign Ministry summoned its ambassador in Berlin. Both institutions rejected what they described as unacceptable escalations and threats against foreign citizens and diplomatic staff.

German officials stated they would not be intimidated by the threats and pledged continued wholehearted support for Ukraine. The ministry highlighted that recent strikes had hit hospitals, schools, and television studios, describing the actions as a doubling down on terror. Similarly, EU spokeswoman Anitta Hipper condemned the threat to foreign citizens and called for an end to attacks on civilians and the commencement of genuine peace talks. The EU delegation confirmed it would not be vacating its offices in Kyiv.

The diplomatic row follows a significant bombardment on Sunday, one of the largest in the four-year conflict. On Monday, the Kremlin announced plans for more systematic attacks targeting what it defined as defence companies and military targets in the capital. Moscow has previously cited Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian territory as the rationale for these escalations, including a strike on a college building and dormitory in Starobilsk, which Ukrainian General Staff claimed targeted a Russian military drone unit.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalation during a special General Assembly session in New York, chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Guterres expressed deep concern over Russia’s announcement of consistent and systemic strikes against Ukrainian defence enterprises and decision-making centres. He noted that violence was expanding in scale and complexity across the Middle East, Sudan, and Ukraine, marking the largest number of simultaneous conflicts since the founding of the United Nations.

A joint statement from 50 countries, including European, NATO, Japanese, and South Korean representatives, was read out by Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Andriy Melnyk. The document condemned the attacks on Kyiv and the threats against diplomatic institutions. In response, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya criticised visa restrictions on Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov, accusing Western nations of contempt for the UN charter and arguing that they were using brute force to preserve their dominant global position.