U.S. Embassy denies Kallas’s claim that American diplomats left Kyiv

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas stated that American diplomats had left Kyiv following Russian threats to intensify strikes on the Ukrainian capital. The claim was immediately denied by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Embassy itself.

Kallas made the statement on May 28 in Limassol, Cyprus, on the eve of an informal EU foreign ministers’ meeting (“Gymnich”). According to her, European embassies remained in Kyiv despite Russia’s ultimatum calling on diplomats and foreign nationals to leave the country ahead of intensified strikes.

“All embassies stayed, except one. That also takes courage from those embassies. But yes — all Europeans stayed. America left,” Kallas said.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi categorically rejected the claim, telling journalists: “Reports about the departure of the U.S. Embassy do not correspond to reality.”

Presidential office spokesperson Andrii Lytvyn suggested that Kallas may have been referring to a temporary precautionary measure ahead of a Russian strike over the weekend.

“Perhaps she meant the circumstances that preceded the strike on Saturday night. We heard that American diplomats left Kyiv at that time,” Lytvyn said, adding that Ukraine is “grateful to all embassies that are working in Kyiv.”

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv published its own statement on X.

“The U.S. Embassy is open. There has been no change in our operations, and reports to the contrary are false. There is no higher priority for the State Department than the safety of American citizens, and it regularly assesses security measures at the Embassy in Kyiv,” the statement reads.

The episode unfolded against the backdrop of intensifying Russian warnings directed at Kyiv, with Moscow calling on diplomats and foreign nationals to evacuate in anticipation of possible large-scale strikes. The informal EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Cyprus, to which representatives from India, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine were also invited, was devoted to a broad range of security issues. The conflicting accounts raised questions about the quality of communication between European and American officials.