Latvia and Lithuania summon Russian ambassadors over new threats
The foreign ministries of Latvia and Lithuania have said that Russia's threats of large-scale strikes on the city of Kyiv constitute a violation of the UN Charter, Latvian Foreign Ministry and Lithuanian Foreign Ministry report.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said the country firmly rejects Russia's threat to conduct large-scale strikes on Kyiv and its calls for foreigners to leave the city. "A protest note has been lodged with Russia. We are not going anywhere and stand with Ukraine. The threat to use force is a blatant violation of the UN Charter," Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reports.
Meanwhile, the Latvian Foreign Ministry said Russia's threats against Kyiv would not intimidate them. "We are not leaving Kyiv. It is Russia that must leave. Latvia stands firmly with Ukraine," Latvian Foreign Ministry reports.
On 25 May, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that Russian forces are beginning "systematic continuous strikes" against Ukrainian defence industry companies and "decision-making centres" in Kyiv. Moscow also urged foreign nationals, including diplomatic staff and employees of international organisations, to "leave Kyiv as soon as possible".
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Russian threats of further strikes on Kyiv are intended to intimidate Western diplomats, but Ukraine does not expect such blackmail to succeed.
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said Western diplomats will not leave Kyiv despite Russia's new threats.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a phone call that the Russian military is "beginning" systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv that Russia claims are being used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.