A minor diplomatic controversy has erupted surrounding a statement by the European Union's chief negotiator, Kaja Kallas. Initially, she reported that the US embassy had left the Ukrainian capital, but later the EU was forced to adjust its position. Phrases indicating the evacuation of US diplomats from Kyiv were removed from the official website of the European External Action Service.
The revised version of the document now states only that all European diplomatic missions continue their work. The mention of Americans allegedly leaving was carefully deleted. A notable note was added to the text: "Updated with a correction regarding diplomatic presence in Kyiv."
Initially, Kallas stated that, according to available data, all embassies remain in Kyiv except for the American one. However, this information was quickly debunked. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine officially denied rumors about the departure of American diplomats. MFA representative Georgiy Tikhyy emphasized that information about the "flight" of the US embassy does not correspond to reality.
Further confusion was caused by comments from Presidential Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn. He reported that some American diplomats did indeed leave the city on the night of May 25, but this did not mean the closure of the representation. The US Embassy itself also issued a statement confirming that it continues to function in normal mode.
All this information noise is set against the backdrop of threats from Russia. On May 25, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced new attacks on civilian infrastructure and urged foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv. Sergey Lavrov even contacted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning of the start of strikes on objects that, according to Moscow, are used by the military. In response to these threats, the European Union summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of Russia for explanations.
