Russia – Summoning of the Ambassador

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs summoned  the Russian Ambassador to France on May 29 at the Minister’s request. He was received by the Ministry’s Director General for Political Affairs. 

The purpose of this summons was to strongly condemn the Russian Foreign Minister’s statement of May 25, in which he warned civilians and foreigners in Kyiv, including the staff of diplomatic missions and international organizations, to leave the city. The Director General stressed that these unacceptable threats to civilians and the diplomatic corps illustrate yet again Russia’s contempt for the law, particularly humanitarian law, as well as diplomatic agreements, and that France will not give in to them. France will remain in Kyiv. He also stressed that these statements would in no way exempt Russia from its obligations under international law. He strongly condemned the Russian airstrikes that have hit journalists in Ukraine, including a fourth French journalist, Antoni Lallican, who was killed in a Russian airstrike on October 3, 2025. 

This summons also came in the wake of the massive Russian airstrikes on May 23 and 24 that targeted the Ukrainian population and civilian infrastructure, and involved the third use of an Oreshnik ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads – the latest irresponsible escalation on the part of Moscow. The Director General told the Ambassador that these attacks, carried out in violation of international law and resulting in civilian losses, are absolutely unacceptable.

On this occasion, the Director General also strongly condemned the unacceptable incursion of Russian drones into Romanian airspace in the early hours of May 29, in the course of another attack in its war of aggression against Ukraine. This latest irresponsible escalation, a flagrant violation of international law, shows yet again that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a threat to the security of Europe and NATO as a whole. 

The Director General reiterated Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russian aggression and stressed that France would continue to stand with Ukraine and to support it on every level to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also repeated France’s call to Russia to end its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and to engage in genuine negotiations to achieve a just and lasting peace.