Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States remains prepared to help pursue peace after Russia warned foreign missions that Kyiv could face expanded attacks.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Russia has warned foreign diplomatic missions to consider leaving Kyiv as Moscow prepares what it described as “systematic and consistent” strikes against military and decision-making targets in the Ukrainian capital, prompting Secretary of State Marco Rubio to caution that the war risks further escalation.
Rubio discussed the warning while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force Three during an official visit to India. He said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov contacted him Monday to relay Moscow’s position and warn that Kyiv could become more dangerous for foreign personnel.
According to a Kremlin readout of the call, Lavrov told Rubio that Russia was preparing the strikes “in response to the Kiev regime’s continued attacks against civilian population and infrastructure in Russia.” The Russian statement said the armed forces of the Russian Federation were beginning “systematic and consistent strikes against military sites and corresponding decision-making centres in Kiev.”
Russia and Ukraine have each accused the other of targeting civilians and infrastructure while maintaining that their own attacks are directed at military objectives. In recent days, Ukraine has reported successful strikes against Russian targets, including an oil depot that Kyiv said supplies fuel to Russian forces. The Guardian noted that Ukrainian drone attacks also damaged water and power supplies in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.
Moscow said it contacted the United States because of planned retaliatory strikes in central Kyiv and sought to “ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital.”
Rubio said the warning appeared to have been sent broadly to foreign embassies and that Lavrov had personally called to repeat what other diplomatic missions had also been told.
“Well, they sent a notice to all the embassies, and I think he was just calling personally to me what they’ve told all the embassies that Kyiv is going to be a very dangerous place,” Rubio said. “But Kyiv has been a very dangerous place for a number of years.”
Rubio said the greater danger is that repeated strikes and counterstrikes could expand the conflict beyond its current boundaries.
“The danger in all these wars as they continue and they go on is that they always have the threat of escalation, of spreading into something new,” Rubio said. “This is what happens with these wars, they just continue to escalate. There’s a big strike coming one way, there’s a bigger strike coming back. Look, every time you see these big strikes from one side or the other, it’s a reminder of why this is a terrible war that’s now gone on longer than the Second World War, and it needs to come to an end.”
Rubio said Washington remains willing to assist efforts to end the conflict, adding that the United States is “always prepared to play a constructive, helpful role” and is “ready and prepared to help do whatever we can.”
The Kremlin said Rubio and Lavrov also discussed Cuba and Iran during the call. Moscow’s account said Lavrov complained about European involvement in the Ukraine war, accusing European leaders of undermining peace efforts. Russia has repeatedly argued that European governments are prolonging the conflict by supporting Kyiv militarily and diplomatically.
Rubio did not provide additional details on that portion of the conversation. Footage of the secretary’s physical reaction to the evacuation warning suggested the United States was not preparing to withdraw personnel from Kyiv based on Moscow’s notice.
European officials also indicated they would remain in the Ukrainian capital. European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said Russia’s warning would not drive the bloc’s mission out of Kyiv.
“Russia wants fear, panic, isolation of Ukraine,” Mathernová said. “It will not work. The EU is not going anywhere. We are staying in Kyiv. We are staying with Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked foreign diplomatic missions that chose to remain in Kyiv and rejected what it described as Russian intimidation.
“Against this backdrop, the new Russian threats are nothing more than shameless blackmail,” the ministry said. “Moscow is effectively admitting that its shelling is aimed, in particular, at intimidating the foreign diplomatic corps. This admission will serve as valuable evidence in international legal proceedings against the aggressor state.”
The warning added another layer of tension to a war already marked by long-range strikes, retaliatory attacks and stalled diplomatic efforts. Rubio’s comments underscored Washington’s concern that each new escalation increases the risk of the conflict expanding while leaving the United States publicly committed to seeking a negotiated end.
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