Lithuania rejects Moscow’s threats against Kyiv and keeps embassy operational

Lithuania has condemned Russia’s threats of mass strikes on Kyiv and calls for foreign diplomats to evacuate, affirming that its embassy in the Ukrainian capital will continue operations, the Foreign Ministry (URM) announced on Tuesday.

The ministry stated that the embassy remains equipped with necessary security measures, contingency plans, and readiness to respond to potential threats. Lithuania, alongside the EU’s External Action Service and other member states, “unanimously and categorically” rejected Moscow’s warnings targeting Kyiv’s residents and foreign diplomatic staff.

On Monday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible” and advised locals to avoid military and government sites, citing planned “systematic strikes” on the city. The threats—issued as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year—prompted a joint rebuke from nearly 50 countries at the UN on Tuesday.

Lithuania’s URM summoned a representative of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius the same day to deliver a note “categorically rejecting” the repeated threats of force against Ukraine, which it called a clear violation of the UN Charter. The ministry added that Russian envoys had been or would soon be summoned by other EU member states for similar protests.