The German Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to Berlin Sergei Nechayev on Tuesday (May 26th) over Moscow's call for foreign diplomatic missions to leave the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, in a move Berlin called a "dangerous escalation."
"The attacks on hospitals, schools and television studios, and the calls to our embassy to leave Kyiv, represent an approach of threat and terrorism," the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement via the "X" platform.
The German Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had informed the Russian ambassador that "the threats will not succeed in intimidating Germany," adding: "We will continue to provide strong support to Ukraine."
In Brussels, European Commission spokeswoman Anita Heber announced that the Russian chargé d'affaires to the European Union had also been summoned, after Moscow announced its intention to launch "systematic strikes" on the Ukrainian capital.
Western capitals accuse Moscow of 'systematic intimidation'
International reactions centered on denouncing Russia's warning to foreign missions to leave Kyiv, which many Western capitals saw as an attempt to "systematically intimidate" ahead of strikes on what Moscow described as "decision centers."
Despite the escalating threats, most countries have confirmed their commitment to keeping their diplomatic missions in the Ukrainian capital, while taking tight security measures to protect their staff.
According to media reports, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received a phone call from his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, urging him to evacuate US diplomats from Kyiv immediately "to avoid strikes".
It added that Washington is studying the situation on the ground in coordination with allies to ensure the safety of its crew, stressing that any threat will not change its commitment to support Ukraine.
Zelensky downplays Moscow's threats
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also downplayed the effectiveness of Russian threats, stressing that Kyiv is coordinating with European partners to accelerate the production and supply of missile defense systems to protect the airspace.
The Ukrainian military denied the Russian version of the targeting of civilians, explaining that its previous strikes had targeted a military command unit of Russian drones.
Several European countries, including the Netherlands and Norway, coordinated their positions with the European Union and Berlin, and reiterated their commitment to maintaining diplomatic representation in Kyiv, considering the Russian threat a departure from international diplomatic norms and an attempt to clear the capital of international eyewitnesses.
NATO rejected Russian accusations that its experts were overseeing strikes deep inside Russia, stressing the continued intelligence and logistical support for Ukraine's air defenses.
Moscow threatens to attack command posts in Kyiv
Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Russian forces would begin carrying out "systematic" attacks on military industrial facilities and command centers in Kyiv, calling on foreign citizens and staff of international missions to leave the city immediately.
These developments come in light of the continuation of the Russian military operation in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, for which Moscow is conditional on Kyiv abandoning joining Western military alliances, which Ukraine considers an interference in its sovereignty.