GEO Opening
US President Donald Trump was reportedly warned by Russia's President Vladimir Putin to evacuate Americans from Ukraine ahead of a threatened "systematic" blitz on Kyiv. The warning was delivered via a high-level diplomatic channel on May 25, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov requested a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to urge Washington to ensure evacuation of its diplomatic personnel before bombardment begins. Russia attributed the planned strikes to a Ukrainian attack in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast, marking an escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Diplomatic Channel and Official Warning
Rubio confirmed to reporters that he relayed Putin's message directly to Trump, characterizing it as a "threat of escalation." The Kremlin issued a formal statement warning that any strikes would "target decision-making centres and command posts." The statement also urged foreign nationals and international staff to leave Kyiv, stating: "We are notifying foreign citizens, including the personnel of diplomatic missions and international organisations of the need to leave the city as soon as possible."
Rubio told reporters: "I spoke to him yesterday about that and a couple other topics, and obviously Putin had asked him to call me to relay the message directly to the President, which I did. Kyiv has been a dangerous place for a number of years. The danger in all these wars, as they continue and go on, is that they always carry the threat of escalation... of spreading into something new."
This marked the first publicly reported contact between Rubio and Putin since May 5, when they were said to have discussed US-led peace efforts.
Background: Trigger for Russian Action
Russia reportedly said the planned strikes were in response to a Ukrainian strike in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast. The Kremlin alleged a dormitory in Starobilsk was hit, while Ukraine insisted it had struck a Russian drone command facility.
国际回应
乌克兰外交部长安德烈伊·西比哈敦促基辅盟友不要遵从撤离要求，称其为“俄罗斯勒索”。
欧洲联盟表态不会撤离。欧盟驻乌克兰大使卡塔里娜·马赫尔诺娃表示：“俄罗斯想要恐惧、制造恐慌、让乌克兰被孤立。这不会奏效。欧盟不会去别处。我们留在基辅。我们和乌克兰在一起。”
法国也拒绝遵从。法国外交部发言人表示：“我们早已习惯普京的威胁。撤离是不可能的。”
美国维持其在基辅的外交存在，选择不对首都发起全面撤离。
