US will decide for itself whether its embassy is safe in Kyiv despite Russian threats – Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would decide for itself whether it was safe for its embassy to remain in Kyiv, commenting on Russia’s call for foreign diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital.
According to Censor.NET, Rubio made the remarks to journalists on October 5.
How the US assesses embassy security
A journalist asked about the US position on Russia’s calls for foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv.
"Well, they have been doing this for several months. Look. We have an embassy there, and we will decide for ourselves whether it is safe for them to be there or not," Rubio replied.
He said this was nothing new: Russia had been warning diplomats to leave for several months, and "it comes as no surprise to anyone that Kyiv is under attack". In his view, this is well understood.
"But we review the security of every diplomatic mission around the world every day. And if a threat arises that we believe requires a change in posture, we will make that change," the secretary of state added.
Rubio also said the United States had so far made no change to its posture regarding its presence in Kyiv.
Background
- On Saturday, October 3, Russia’s Foreign Ministry again warned foreign nationals and diplomats against remaining in Ukraine. The aggressor state openly announced its intention to launch further massive strikes on Ukraine.
- The New York Times had reported the previous day that Russia was preparing a new campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and water supply, planning attacks using up to 1,000 missiles, drones and aerial bombs.
- EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova responded to Moscow’s threats against diplomats, stressing that the EU delegation would remain in Kyiv.
