Lithuania rejects Russian threats against Kyiv and diplomats, delivers protest note

Lithuania has formally rejected Russian threats to launch mass attacks on Kyiv and urged foreign nationals, including diplomats, to leave the city, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

A senior representative of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they were handed a note of strong protest over the May 25 statement by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, according to an official release.

“Lithuania categorically rejects Russia’s repeated threats to use force against Ukraine, in clear violation of the UN Charter,” the ministry stated. It accused Russia of “cynically manipulating” international humanitarian law—rules it has “systematically and massively violated” since its “unlawful and unprovoked military aggression” against Ukraine began in 2014.

The protest note reminded Russia of its “inevitable accountability” for war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law, demanding an immediate end to the aggression, the withdrawal of all forces from occupied territories, and full reparations for damages caused.

Coordinated protests of the same nature were also lodged by other EU member states on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed.