Several European countries and the European Union have summoned Russian ambassadors and top diplomats in a coordinated protest over Moscow's escalating military campaign against Kyiv and its warnings urging foreigners and civilians to leave the Ukrainian capital. Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway all called in their respective Russian envoys, while the EU's foreign affairs service summoned Russia's representative in Brussels. The moves came after Russia issued threats of "systematic strikes" on Kyiv and deployed what Ukrainian officials described as a Kinzhal and, according to Dutch reports, an Orezhnik ballistic missile — a modern weapon that is nearly impossible to intercept and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

The attacks over the weekend were among the most intense of the war so far, striking residential buildings and schools. Moscow framed them as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian strike on student accommodation in the occupied Luhansk region. Dutch Foreign Minister Berendsen, who summoned Russia's ambassador Vladimir Tarabrin, called the attacks "unacceptable" and said the Netherlands would not evacuate its citizens or withdraw its diplomats from Kyiv. "We will not be intimidated. Our diplomats will remain at their post," he said. The EU similarly confirmed it would maintain its full diplomatic presence in Ukraine, a decision mocked by former Russian president and Security Council deputy chair Dmitry Medvedev, who wrote on social media that the EU "apparently has diplomats to spare and needs to trim the headcount."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, appearing alongside the presidents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — the three Baltic states that border Russia and have been on high alert since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — warned that Russia was actively seeking to "destabilise" Europe. The leaders stressed the need for European unity, with Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda warning that talks with Moscow could only begin once Russia agreed to an actual ceasefire. Latvia's president Edgars Rinkēvičs cautioned that Russia deliberately sought to negotiate with individual countries in order to divide them.

Against this backdrop, Ukraine is pushing for the EU to take a more active role in peace efforts, as US-led mediation has stalled. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told the BBC that Kyiv wants "new dynamics" and "more active participation by the European side." Names rumoured for a potential EU envoy role include former German chancellor Angela Merkel and former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, though neither has confirmed interest. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is seeking a unified European position before any contact with Moscow is initiated, with the issue set to be discussed at an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers in Cyprus this week.

Analysts remain sceptical about near-term diplomacy. Kyiv-based analyst Yaroslav Smovzh warned that EU engagement with Russia would be "doomed" unless Europe approached negotiations from a position of strength, arguing that Russia needs to feel pressure rather than face a neutral broker. Meanwhile, NATO announced plans to strengthen its eastern flank by assigning the German-Netherlands Corps to the defence of Latvia and Estonia, acknowledging the region's limited strategic depth in any potential confrontation with Russia.