Russia's threat to evacuate Kyiv draws Western condemnation, UN concern

Russia's call for diplomats and foreigners to evacuate Kyiv over the threat of renewed strikes has drawn sharp criticism from Western nations, who accuse Moscow of escalating the conflict.

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We also condemn recent threats by Russia to diplomatic institutions and embassies in Kyiv. This is something which we cannot accept.

Russia announced a "systematic" strike campaign on the Ukrainian capital, targeting "decision-making centers" and urging foreign citizens and diplomats to leave the city. Ukraine dismissed the threats as "blackmail" and encouraged allies to ignore the warning. Several Western diplomatic missions confirmed they had no plans to evacuate their staff.

Nearly 50 countries jointly condemned Russia's threats against embassies in Ukraine at the United Nations. The European Union also rejected the threat, stating its staff would not move. Germany and Norway summoned Russia's ambassador over the issue, while France's foreign ministry deemed evacuation "out of the question."

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We condemned the attack on the school – as we condemn all attacks on ‌civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur.

The escalating tensions follow weeks of increased strikes between both sides. The conflict, now in its fifth year, has seen significant attacks, including a Russian accusation of a Ukrainian strike on a vocational school in Lugansk that killed 21 people, and a previous attack on Kyiv that killed 24, according to Ukrainian authorities. Both sides deny targeting civilians.

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Now ⁠more ⁠than ever, it is imperative to avoid any escalation of a conflict that has already exacted a devastating toll on civilians, and that risks making the search for peace even more distant, prolonging the suffering of people.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced deep concern, condemning all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. He stressed the imperative to avoid further escalation to prevent prolonged suffering and a more distant search for peace. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington's readiness to mediate, noting the war's prolonged duration as a reason for its end.

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Every time you see these big strikes from one side or the other, it's a reminder of why this is a terrible war that's now gone on longer than the Second World War, and it needs to come to an end.