Leave Kyiv or get bombed. That is the message Moscow is once again sending to foreign diplomats in Ukraine’s capital, as missile and drone strikes intensify. But the EU refuses to budge. We are staying put, comes the firm reply from Brussels.
The European Union is making it clear to the Kremlin: it will not be bullied into retreat. Not by a steady stream of threats, and not by the ramped-up strikes on Kyiv launched by Russian forces in recent days. “The EU is maintaining its presence and operation in Kyiv,” said European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper.
Her tone breaks with the usual diplomatic neutrality. It lands sharper, more confrontational. She described the threats as ones that “smell like desperation” and accused Moscow of trying “to sow panic”. “They want fear and isolation in Ukraine and elsewhere, but we have a clear message: This will not work,” she added.
They want fear and isolation in Ukraine and elsewhere, but we have a clear message: This will not work. — Anitta Hipper, European Commission spokesperson
The statement from Brussels finds a personal echo in Kyiv. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová struck an equally defiant note: The EU is not going anywhere. “We are staying in Kyiv. We are staying with Ukraine,” she wrote on Facebook.
Moscow’s warning
Earlier this week, Moscow again urged foreigners in Kyiv — including diplomats and staff of international organisations — to leave the city. It warned of a coming wave of “systematic strikes” on targets linked to Ukraine’s military industry and command structures. According to the Russian foreign ministry, the targets include facilities involved in drone production and so-called “decision-making centres”.
The warning followed another intense wave of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv. Those strikes killed two people and injured nearly a hundred more. Russia framed the assault as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on dormitory in occupied Luhansk region, where 21 casualties were reported.
Kremlin called those attacks proof of the “Nazi and terrorist essence” of the Kyiv regime. Ukraine rejects the claim outright. It insists it strikes only military targets and acts within international law.
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No sign of peace
In Brussels, officials are placing Russia’s rhetoric within the broader trajectory of the war. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia “hit a dead-end on the battlefield”, that’s why it increasingly turns to attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Ms Hipper also drew a legal line. “Any international Intentional attacks against civilians and non-military objectives are war crimes.” She stressed that accountability will extend across the chain of command, from those who carry out strikes to those who order them.
We don’t see any signals whatsoever from President Putin on really wanting any peace. — Paula Pinho, Commission spokesperson
The EU diplomatic service summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires on Tuesday. It demanded an end to attacks on civilians and called for genuine peace negotiations. Yet scepticism remains firmly in place. “We don’t see any signals whatsoever from President (Vladimir) Putin on really wanting any peace,” said Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho.
A War That Redefines the Diplomatic Frontline
While the diplomatic exchanges grow sharper, the EU continues to emphasise practical support for Ukraine. That includes air defence systems and financial assistance. Foreign ministers are also expected to discuss further pressure on Moscow at an upcoming informal meeting in Cyprus.
Behind these decisions sits the longer arc of a war that began in 2022. It has evolved into a grinding war of attrition, marked by cycles of Russian offensives and Ukrainian counterattacks.
In that wider pattern, Russia’s warnings to diplomats form part of a familiar strategy: military pressure, psychological signalling, and diplomatic messaging aimed at the West. The latest response suggests that, at least in one key respect, the effort is falling flat — the EU shows no sign of being intimidated.
