Russia has told foreign governments and organizations to evacuate diplomatic personnel and citizens from Kiev, saying a retaliatory strike will be inevitable if Ukraine tries to attack Moscow during World War II Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late Wednesday that Russia had sent a message to all accredited embassies urging them to take “very, very seriously” the Defense Ministry’s May 4 statement warning of strikes if Ukraine disrupts Moscow’s celebrations, which include a military parade in Red Square.
“The instinct of self-preservation should not fail them,” Zakharova said, adding that any strikes on Kiev would involve what Moscow calls “decision-making centers.”
The latest statement came as Russia and Ukraine traded accusations over ceasefire proposals. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a unilateral ceasefire for May 8-9 to cover Victory Day celebrations, saying Russia expects Ukraine to respect it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has not committed to abiding by the Russian ceasefire, countered by offering to start a ceasefire from midnight on 6 May. He said Russian drone and missile attacks that followed the deadline showed the Kremlin had rejected his offer.
In a telegram post shortly after Russia’s latest warning, Zelensky said Ukraine had already made a clear proposal for a ceasefire and diplomacy, and that Moscow knew how to contact Kiev or its partners to coordinate the details.
While Ukraine was ready to end the war with dignity, if “the only person in Moscow who cannot live without war” only cared about the parade, “that’s a different story,” Zelensky said.
Russia “has fought to the point where even its main parade now depends on us. And that’s a clear signal: Enough is enough,” he added.
This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.
