Ukraine: EU summons Russian envoy after call to leave Kyiv

Germany summoned Russia’s ambassador after attacks on Kyiv that included hospitals, schools, and TV studios, and stated it would not be intimidated by threats while continuing to support Ukraine. The EU also summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires in Brussels, calling the threat to foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv an unacceptable escalation. The EU urged Russia to stop hitting civilians and to engage in genuine peace talks, while stating the EU delegation would not vacate its Kyiv offices. Russia announced plans for more systematic attacks targeting defense and other military targets in the city, and previously linked such strikes to Ukrainian long-range drone attacks on Russian territory.

"Germany's Foreign Ministry said online that it had summoned Russia's ambassador and made clear "that we will not be intimidated by threats and will continue to support Ukraine wholeheartedly." It listed some of the sites struck on Sunday. "Attacks on hospitals, schools and TV studios, calling on our embassy staff to leave Kyiv. Russia is doubling down on terror, threats and escalation," the ministry wrote."

"The spokeswoman for the EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said Russia's charge d'affaires was also called in in Brussels on Tuesday. "Russia's threat to foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv is an unacceptable escalation," Anitta Hipper wrote. " [The EU] summoned the Charge d'Affaires, calling to stop hitting civilians and to engage in genuine peace talks." She said the EU delegation would not be vacating its Kyiv offices."

"And on Monday, the Kremlin announced that it planned more such attacks that would "systematically" target what it said were defense companies and other military targets in the city. Russia had first raised the prospect of widespread attacks on Kyiv earlier in May, amid the two sides' bickering over a possible ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe in 1945."

"Both times it said it was responding to Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian territory. Sunday's attack was one of the larger bombardments of Kyiv in the four-year Russian invasion. And on Tuesday, the EU, Germany, several UN members and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres all rebuked Russia for Sunday's bombardment of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and Moscow's call for foreign diplomats to leave the city for their own safety."

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