Russian denounced for its warning to diplomats, foreigners to leave Kyiv

People walk past a shopping centre on fire following Russian strikes in Kyiv on May 24, 2026. Russia launched among its heaviest ever strikes on Ukraine over the weekend. Photo by Roman PILIPEY/AFP via Getty Images

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Russia’s call for diplomats and foreigners to leave Kyiv over the threat of fresh strikes drew a sharp backlash from Western countries on Tuesday, some of whom accused Moscow of escalating the more than four-year war.

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Russia announced Monday it had started a campaign of “systematic” strikes on Kyiv, after battering Ukraine with hundreds of drones and a hypersonic missile over the weekend.

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It said the strikes would target the Ukrainian capital’s “decision-making centres” and urged foreign citizens and diplomats “to leave the city as soon as possible,” as well as for Kyiv residents to avoid public buildings.

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Ukraine called the threats “blackmail” and encouraged its allies to ignore the warning, while several Western diplomatic missions announced they had no plans to evacuate their staff.

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Almost 50 countries condemned what they said were threats by Russia against embassies in Ukraine in a joint statement at the United Nations on Tuesday.

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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,” the joint statement delivered by Ukrainian UN representative Andriy Melnyk said.

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The statement was signed by European countries, Japan, South Korea and others.

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The European Union also lashed out at Russia’s threat, saying it had no plans to move its staff, while Germany and Norway summoned Russia’s ambassador over the move.

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A spokesperson for France’s foreign ministry said Monday that evacuating diplomatic staff from Kyiv was “out of the question.”

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Russia’s threat came after weeks of escalating strikes between the two sides, and as U.S.-led talks aimed at ending the conflict remained largely frozen over the Iran war.

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Russia last week accused Ukraine of hitting a vocational school in the Russian-occupied Lugansk region, killing 21 people, while a massive attack on Ukraine’s capital the week before killed 24, according to Ukrainian authorities.

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Both sides deny targeting civilians.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington remained ready to mediate in the conflict.

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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,” Rubio told reporters during an official visit to India.

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He was referring to the length of WWII for Moscow, which entered the war in June 1941 when Nazi Germany invaded the USSR, with the conflict ending in May 1945 with Germany’s surrender.

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Both Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes on Tuesday.

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A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person in Russia’s Belgorod border region, local authorities said, while Russian strikes on Ukraine left several wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.