Russia said on Tuesday its government has warned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evacuate diplomats and US citizens from Kiev as Moscow plans a new attack on the Ukrainian capital.
According to the Russian government, in a call with Rubio on Monday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “officially informed” Washington that Russia would launch “systematic and persistent attacks” against Ukrainian military facilities and what Moscow calls “decision-making centers.”
CNBC contacted the US and Ukrainian governments for comment.
The call came as the Russian government issued a statement urging foreign citizens, diplomatic personnel and international organizations to leave Kiev, warning that it was preparing to target the capital with a focus on drone design, manufacturing and programming facilities.
“The attacks will target decision-making centers and command posts,” the statement said.
“Due to the fact that the above-mentioned facilities are scattered across Kyiv, we are informing foreign citizens, including personnel of diplomatic missions and international organizations, of the need to leave the city as soon as possible.”
The Russian government also warned Kiev residents not to use military or government facilities and infrastructure.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov highlighted the warning he gave to Rubio during Monday’s call.
In a description of the conversation, US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Rubio had spoken to him at Lavrov’s request.
“The two sides exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war, bilateral relations and the situation in Iran,” he said.
According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Lavrov had “expressed regret” over the impasse over a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.
Last year, the US led talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations to end the war between the two countries.
The talks reached an impasse after months of diplomacy, with concessions of Ukrainian territory to Russia remaining a key issue.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin both said they could see an end to the conflict soon.
“I really think the end of the war in Ukraine is coming very close,” Trump told reporters at the time.
However, Rubio told reporters on Friday that U.S.-led efforts to negotiate a peace deal have ended, pointing out that previous talks “were not fruitful.”
“No such talks are taking place at the moment, but we hope that will change because the war can only end through talks,” he told reporters. “This will not end with a military victory for one side or the other.”
He said the United States was prepared to continue monitoring peace talks if they remain constructive, adding that “there is no one else in the world who can handle it right now.”
“We have no interest in engaging in an endless cycle of meetings that get nothing done,” Rubio said.
Before returning to the White House for his second presidential term, Trump Said He will be able to solve the Ukraine war in one day.
In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, a peninsula in southern Ukraine. That same year, armed conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists.
Kyiv has been repeatedly targeted by Russian attacks since the 2022 invasion. Over the weekend, there were fresh attacks on the city, including informed It is one of the largest missile launches on the city since the war began.