Latvia and Lithuania summon Russian ambassadors over new threats against Kyiv

Latvia and Lithuania have summoned Russian ambassadors in protest over Moscow's threats to launch new massive strikes on Kyiv and demands that foreign nationals and diplomats leave the Ukrainian capital. The move follows similar actions by the European Union and other EU member states.

Latvia and Lithuania have each summoned their respective Russian ambassadors in a coordinated diplomatic protest following Moscow's renewed threats to carry out large-scale missile strikes on Kyiv and calls for foreign nationals and diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital.

The Baltic nations joined the European Union and several other EU member states in taking the diplomatic step, signalling collective condemnation of Russia's escalatory rhetoric directed at Ukraine's capital city.

Russia's threats prompted widespread alarm across Europe, with governments treating the warnings as serious provocations that warranted formal diplomatic responses. Latvia and Lithuania, both bordering Russia or its ally Belarus, have been among the most vocal critics of Moscow's conduct in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The summoning of an ambassador is a standard but significant diplomatic tool used to communicate strong disapproval, typically involving the delivery of a formal protest note. By aligning with EU-level action, Riga and Vilnius underscored the bloc's unified stance against Russian intimidation tactics targeting Kyiv and the international community present there.