Netherlands summons Russian ambassador after renewed strikes on Kyiv

The Dutch government plans to call in the Russian ambassador in response to the latest strikes on Kyiv, according to Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, following a meeting with EU colleagues in Brussels.

The decision comes in response to the scale of recent strikes, which reportedly damaged dozens of apartment buildings and multiple schools. Authorities also say a ballistic Oreshnik missile was deployed, a modern Russian weapon that is difficult to intercept and can be equipped with nuclear warheads.

Berendsen called the Russian attacks unacceptable. “The strikes with this specific ballistic missile, the attacks on civilian targets that are really increasing, and also the way diplomats present in Kyiv are being threatened. That is also why we, as the Netherlands, have decided to summon the ambassador to convey this message,” he said.

“We want Russia to sit down at the negotiating table, but in reality, we are seeing the opposite,” the minister said.

Russia said the strikes were a response to an alleged attack on a student dormitory in the occupied Luhansk region of Ukraine. Earlier this week, the Russian foreign ministry also advised foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible.”

Berendsen said the Netherlands will not comply with Moscow’s request. “Dutch nationals in Kyiv will stay where they are; we will not be intimidated. Our diplomats will remain in place,” he stated.

Germany and the EU’s External Action Service have likewise called in Russian ambassadors in response to the attacks and what they described as threatening language from Moscow. The EU diplomatic service also confirmed that its personnel in Kyiv will continue their work on the ground.