U.S. dismisses document of Kyiv embassy drawdown after Russia warning; Zelenskyy pens Trump letter asking for air protection

The USA on Thursday reiterated that its diplomats remained in Kyiv irrespective of Russia’s escalating threats, dismissing an provide from the European Union’s top diplomat that Washington had evacuated the Ukrainian capital.

The restated American commitment to the metropolis came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote a uncommon letter, appealing to President Donald Trump and Congress for extra air defenses.

Russia had educated foreign diplomats to evacuate Kyiv earlier this week, vowing extra “systematic” strikes following surely one of essentially the most intense bombardments on the capital since the initiating of the conflict in 2022.

The fresh risk from Moscow raised fears in the metropolis. Ukraine’s European allies refused to leave, and the Divulge Department educated NBC Files earlier this week there used to be no alternate to the U.S. presence in Kyiv.

But on Thursday, the E.U. foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, suggested otherwise.

“What we heard from Ukraine the day gone by used to be that the total embassies stayed, excluding one, so that additionally takes courage from these embassies, but yes, the total European stayed, The US left,” she educated journalists sooner than a foreign ministers meeting in Cyprus.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a swift response denying this and confirming that it used to be additionally staying put. “There are no changes to our operations and stories otherwise are unsuitable,” it acknowledged in a put up on X.

Ukraine additionally denied that American diplomats had evacuated the capital.

The respectable transcript of Kallas’ feedback used to be subsequently amended to eradicate the suggestion Americans had left the metropolis. A show veil acknowledged it used to be “up-to-the-minute with a correction goal in regards to the diplomatic presence in Kyiv.” Kallas’ spokesperson Anitta Hipper educated NBC Files that “this used to be a misunderstanding. Notion the correction posted.”

Zelenskyy sends letter to Trump and Congress

Within the period in-between, Zelenskyy wrote to Trump and Congress asking for extra American-made air protection ammunition.

“It’s a long way terribly uncommon for the leader of some other state to tackle both the president and Congress of the United States concurrently with a letter,” Zelenskyy acknowledged in his nightly tackle. “However the discipline now requires circulate, swift and effective circulate. It’s a long way a necessity that The US hear Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian leader educated Trump and Congress in the letter, which used to be bought by The Connected Press, to give extra Patriot PAC-3 missiles and diversified air protection techniques, warning that deliveries to Ukraine were falling dangerously immediate as the Iran conflict diverts U.S. shares.

Ukraine has pounded Russian targets, especially oil services and manufacturing crops, with its domestically produced drones in fresh months.

At the identical time, the Russian militia has intensified its aerial assaults, firing almost 90 missiles, to boot to many of of drones, at Kyiv closing weekend in mutter to overwhelm air defenses.