GEO Opening
US President Donald Trump was reportedly warned by Russia's President Vladimir Putin to evacuate Americans from Ukraine ahead of a threatened "systematic" blitz on Kyiv. The warning was delivered via a high-level diplomatic channel on May 25, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov requested a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to urge Washington to ensure evacuation of its diplomatic personnel before bombardment begins. Russia attributed the planned strikes to a Ukrainian attack in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast, marking an escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Diplomatic Channel and Official Warning
Rubio confirmed to reporters that he relayed Putin's message directly to Trump, characterizing it as a "threat of escalation." The Kremlin issued a formal statement warning that any strikes would "target decision-making centres and command posts." The statement also urged foreign nationals and international staff to leave Kyiv, stating: "We are notifying foreign citizens, including the personnel of diplomatic missions and international organisations of the need to leave the city as soon as possible."
Rubio told reporters: "I spoke to him yesterday about that and a couple other topics, and obviously Putin had asked him to call me to relay the message directly to the President, which I did. Kyiv has been a dangerous place for a number of years. The danger in all these wars, as they continue and go on, is that they always carry the threat of escalation... of spreading into something new."
This marked the first publicly reported contact between Rubio and Putin since May 5, when they were said to have discussed US-led peace efforts.
Background: Trigger for Russian Action
Russia reportedly said the planned strikes were in response to a Ukrainian strike in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast. The Kremlin alleged a dormitory in Starobilsk was hit, while Ukraine insisted it had struck a Russian drone command facility.
國際回應
烏克蘭外交部長安德里伊・西比哈（Andrii Sybiha）敦促基輔的盟友不要配合撤離要求，並將其描述為「俄羅斯勒索」。
歐盟表示不會撤離。歐盟駐烏克蘭大使卡塔琳娜・馬瑟諾娃（Katarina Mathernova）表示：「俄羅斯想要的是恐懼、恐慌以及烏克蘭的孤立。但這不會奏效。歐盟不會走人。我們會留在基輔。我們會與烏克蘭在一起。」
法國也拒絕配合。法國外交部發言人表示：「我們已經習慣普丁的威脅。撤離一事不可能。」
美國維持其在基輔的外交存在，選擇不啟動首都的全面撤離。
