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.
International Response
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged Kyiv's allies not to comply with the evacuation demand, describing it as "Russian blackmail."
The European Union signaled it would not evacuate. The EU's ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, stated: "Russia wants fear, panic, isolation of Ukraine. It will not work. The EU is not going anywhere. We are staying in Kyiv. We are staying with Ukraine."
France also refused to comply. A spokesperson for the French foreign ministry said: "We're used to Putin's threats. It is out of the question to evacuate."
The US maintained its diplomatic presence in Kyiv, electing not to launch a full evacuation of the capital.
