The European Union will not reduce its diplomatic presence in the Ukrainian capital or evacuate staff despite Russia’s public threats to strike Kyiv. This was officially announced in Brussels.
EU foreign policy service spokesperson Anwar El-Anouni stated at a briefing on May 7 that Moscow’s public threats are part of a “reckless escalation tactic.”
“As far as we, the EU, are concerned, we will not change either our position or our presence in Kyiv,” El-Anouni said.
Earlier, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had urged foreign diplomatic missions in Kyiv to evacuate their staff, citing alleged Ukrainian provocations being planned ahead of May 9. Moscow warned that any attempts to disrupt Victory Day celebrations in Russia would result in a “massive missile strike” on the Ukrainian capital.
The EU characterized these warnings as an attempt to shift responsibility for the war onto Ukraine. “Russia is once again outrageously attempting to blame Ukraine for its own aggressive war,” a European Commission spokesperson noted.
The EU Delegation in Kyiv will continue operating as normal. Previous Russian attacks have already damaged diplomatic facilities in the Ukrainian capital, including the EU Delegation building itself, but this has not affected Brussels’ decision to maintain its presence.
Many EU member states and their allies have also confirmed they have no plans to withdraw their diplomats from Kyiv. This decision underscores their firm support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian aggression.