Belgium summons Russian ambassador over threats to Kyiv diplomats
Foreign minister Maxime Prévot has summoned the Russian ambassador after Moscow called on foreign diplomats and citizens to leave Kyiv ahead of potential new attacks. Writing on X on Wednesday, Prévot described the statement as "unacceptable".
On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry urged foreign diplomats and citizens to leave the Ukrainian capital before possible strikes on what it described as "decision-making centres" and "companies in the military-industrial complex".
Prévot condemned the remarks, calling them a violation of international law and the Vienna Convention. "Threatening embassies is not diplomacy, it is intimidation," he wrote. "Belgium is not going anywhere. We are staying in Kyiv. We are standing with Ukraine. And we will not be intimidated."
According to Prévot, Russia remains the sole aggressor in the war. "The solution to end this cycle of escalation is remarkably simple: Russia must stop its aggression and engage in genuine peace talks," he wrote.
European response
On Tuesday, the European Union also summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires over the threat, which it described as an "unacceptable escalation". A spokesperson for EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said the EU would maintain its presence in Kyiv.
Dutch Foreign minister Tom Berendsen also announced on Tuesday that the Netherlands would summon the Russian ambassador following the latest attacks on Kyiv.
© BELGA PHOTO EMILE WINDAL
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