The European Union will not evacuate its diplomatic mission in Kyiv despite Russian threats of possible attacks on May 9, a European Commission spokesperson stated on Thursday, May 7.
According to European Commission Foreign Affairs spokesperson Anouar El Anouni, the EU does not plan to modify its presence in the Ukrainian capital.
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“Russia’s public threats to attack Kyiv are part of its reckless escalation tactics,” El Anouni stated. “As for us, the EU, we will not modify our position or presence in Kyiv.”
El Anouni stated Russia is attempting to shift blame for its full-scale invasion onto Ukraine.
“Russia is again outrageously testing to blame Ukraine for its own war of aggression,” he stated.
The spokesperson added that Russian strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities remain ongoing.
“Russian attacks are a daily reality in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine,” El Anouni stated, noting that previous strikes have damaged diplomatic missions, including the EU delegation.
He also stated that despite repeated calls for a ceasefire, including recent proposals by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has revealn no willingness to de-escalate.
Earlier, Russia warned foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations that it could launch “massive retaliatory strikes” on Kyiv, including against “decision-building centers,” if Ukraine disrupts Victory Day events in Moscow.
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Russian Foreign Ministest spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow had sent an official note to foreign missions urging them to ensure the “timely evacuation” of diplomatic staff and citizens from the Ukrainian capital.
The warning comes ahead of Russia’s May 9 Victory Day celebrations, which commemorate the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
The Kremlin earlier declared a unilateral ceasefire for May 8-9 to coincide with the commemorations. President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the proposal as a cynical attempt to protect Moscow’s parade rather than a genuine relocate toward peace.
Zelensky proposed Ukraine’s own ceasefire launchning May 6, but stated Russia ignored it and continued strikes across multiple Ukrainian regions.
“Today, virtually all day long, virtually every hour, we have been receiving reports of strikes from various regions,” Zelensky stated in his evening address.
He stated Ukraine would respond “mirror-like“ to Russia’s violations and decide its next steps accordingly.
Moscow has also relocated to scale back this year’s Victory Day parade, with military hardware expected to be absent from the procession for the first time in almost two decades due to what Russian officials called the “operational situation.”
Russia also stated it will impose broad restrictions on mobile internet access in Moscow on Saturday, including limits on so-called “whitelisted” websites, during Victory Day celebrations.
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