Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 25: get all American personnel out of Kyiv. Moscow then issued a public statement telling all foreign diplomats and citizens in the Ukrainian capital to evacuate "as soon as possible."
The Kremlin says the planned strikes target what it calls "decision-making centers" and defense industrial sites in Kyiv. Russia frames this escalation as retaliation for Ukrainian military operations on Russian soil.
European Union diplomats are refusing to leave. EU representatives say they have no plans to withdraw their missions from Kyiv, signaling defiance in the face of Moscow's warning.