Russia Warns U.S. to Pull Citizens From Kyiv Before Strikes

CNBC reported Tuesday that Russia has formally warned Washington to remove American diplomats and civilians from Kyiv, signalling imminent escalation against the Ukrainian capital.

Lavrov Delivers Kyiv Strikes Warning Directly to Rubio

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov used a Monday phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to officially notify Washington of planned Kyiv strikes. Moscow said those strikes would be “systematic and consistent,” targeting military infrastructure and what Russia describes as decision-making centres. The Russian foreign ministry added that drone design, manufacturing, and programming facilities were among the primary objectives. Rubio requested the call at Lavrov’s behest, according to a State Department readout. U.S. spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the two officials also discussed bilateral relations and the situation in Iran.

Moscow separately published a broader public warning urging foreign nationals, diplomatic staff, and international organisations to depart Kyiv without delay. Russian authorities told residents to avoid military and government facilities across the city.

A War With No Ceasefire in Sight

The warning follows one of the heaviest missile barrages on Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. That invasion itself came eight years after Moscow seized Crimea and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The conflict has defied repeated diplomatic attempts to reach a settlement.

Earlier this month both President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the war could be nearing its end. Trump told reporters he believed a conclusion was “getting very close.” Those comments now appear premature.

Also Read: Ukraine War Updates – BBC News

U.S.-Led Peace Effort Grinds to a Halt

Rubio publicly declared last Friday that Washington’s mediation effort had run its course, describing prior sessions as unproductive. He said no negotiations are currently underway but left the door open to future talks, arguing that a negotiated settlement remains the only realistic endpoint. He was explicit that neither side can achieve outright military victory.

Rubio acknowledged the U.S. sees itself as the only credible convener for such talks but insisted Washington would not participate in meetings designed merely to generate headlines. Trump had famously pledged before his second term to end the war within a single day.

Lavrov, for his part, told Rubio that Moscow regrets the current diplomatic deadlock, according to the Russian foreign ministry’s account of the call.

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