Western embassies reject Russian call to leave Kyiv, say 'we are staying'
After Russia's Foreign Ministry on October 3 warned Western diplomats to leave Kyiv and threatened further massive strikes, embassies of more than a dozen EU and other Western countries publicly declared they would remain in the Ukrainian capital. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the US mission is staying for now and said Washington will decide for itself on the safety of its diplomats. The coordinated response, in which missions cited the Vienna Convention and international humanitarian law, stood in contrast to reporting that Western governments are privately drafting backup relocation plans to Lviv or eastern Poland.
Key points
- On October 3, Russia's Foreign Ministry told foreign diplomats and citizens to leave Kyiv, warning of continued massive strikes and placing responsibility on those who ignore the warning.
- Embassies of Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, the United Kingdom and Albania all published statements saying they are not leaving Kyiv.
- Several missions, including Germany's and Sweden's, declared 'We are staying in Kyiv' and called on Russia to comply with the Vienna Convention and international humanitarian law.
- EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernová said Russia's warning amounted to 'go away or risk your life' and replied: 'We are staying.'
- On October 5, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US Embassy in Kyiv is staying for now and that the US will decide for itself whether it is safe for American diplomats to remain.
- The European Commission said EU diplomats continue to work in Kyiv and pledged continued support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Russia.
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it has received no requests or notifications from foreign missions about relocation, contradicting The Guardian's reporting that Western governments are privately developing backup plans to move staff to Lviv or eastern Poland.
Why it matters
The coordinated rejection of Russia's warning by embassies of more than a dozen Western countries, reinforced by Rubio's confirmation that the US mission is staying for now, turned what Moscow framed as a security advisory into a public test of allied resolve. By citing the Vienna Convention and international humanitarian law, the missions recast the Russian warning not as routine caution but as a potential breach of diplomatic norms. The episode also exposed a gap between the embassies' public messaging and privately drawn contingency plans to move staff to Lviv or eastern Poland, a gap the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry publicly denied exists.
What happened
On October 3, Russia's Foreign Ministry told foreign diplomats and citizens in Kyiv to leave the city, warning that Russia's military would continue to carry out massive strikes and that responsibility for any consequences lay 'entirely' with those who ignored the warning. Within days, embassies of Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, the United Kingdom and Albania published statements — in several cases using identical language — declaring that they did not plan to cease operations in Kyiv. Several missions, including Germany's, declared outright 'We are staying in Kyiv,' and called on Russia to comply with the Vienna Convention and norms of international humanitarian law. The Polish Embassy described the warning as an attempt by the Kremlin to intimidate Europe and weaken support for Ukraine, while Estonia said the threats reinforce that resolve. On October 4, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernová said Russia's message amounted to 'go away or risk your life' and replied: 'We are staying.' On October 5, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the US Embassy in Kyiv will continue to operate for now, said Washington will decide for itself on the safety of American diplomats, and noted that the State Department analyzes the security of each diplomatic mission worldwide daily. The European Commission said EU diplomats continue to work in Kyiv and pledged continued support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Russia. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it has received no requests or notifications from foreign missions about relocation.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets framed the episode as a coordinated Western diplomatic pushback in which European and US embassies publicly defied Russian threats and signaled solidarity with Kyiv. They highlighted the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's denial that any partner had notified it of relocation plans and stressed statements, particularly from Poland and Estonia, that Russia is trying to intimidate Europe and weaken support for Ukraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko's earlier report that debris from Russian shelling fell on the grounds of a Western embassy in the Shevchenkivskyi district was used as evidence that Russian strikes are putting diplomats at physical risk. Ukrainian coverage paired the diplomatic story with President Volodymyr Zelensky's October 3 statement to Reuters that Ukraine's Armed Forces will step up strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to Russia's escalation, which Kyiv says is aimed at forcing residents of Kyiv and other cities to leave.
How international sources describe it
International coverage focused on the unusual spectacle of Western embassies publicly invoking the Vienna Convention and norms of international humanitarian law in response to a routine-looking advisory from Moscow. Reporters framed the Russian warning as a repeat of a similar May threat that was previously rejected by national leaders, and noted Rubio's observation that Moscow has been issuing such calls to diplomats for several months. International outlets also flagged the tension between the embassies' public 'we are staying' messaging and The Guardian's reporting that Western governments are privately developing backup relocation plans to Lviv or eastern Poland — a tension the Ukrainian side publicly denied.
Where reporting differs
Most reporting on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's October 5 comments said he confirmed the US Embassy in Kyiv is staying and that the United States will decide for itself on the safety of American diplomats. One report characterized his comments differently, saying Rubio 'did not rule out' suspending US Embassy operations in Kyiv. The accounts are not necessarily contradictory, but they frame the US position differently — as a confirmation of the current posture in most accounts, and as a conditional, non-committal stance in one.
Background
Russia issued a comparable warning in May 2025, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov directly asking the United States to evacuate its embassy, and national leaders rejected the threat at that time. On September 30, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that debris from Russian shelling was found on the grounds of a Western embassy in the Shevchenkivskyi district of the capital. On October 3, President Zelensky said Ukraine's Armed Forces would intensify strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to Russia's escalation, which Kyiv says is aimed at forcing residents of Kyiv and other cities to leave. Russia has increased missile and drone strikes on Kyiv during the fall, with damage to civilian and critical infrastructure recorded in the city.