Ukraine Denies Emergency Berlin Talks Over Threat of Strikes on Kyiv

The press service of Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) and head of Ukraine’s negotiating delegation, has dismissed the claims that he is holding “emergency” closed-door talks in Germany amid Russian threats to destroy Kyiv, Suspilne reported on May 26.

Officials confirmed that Umerov is in Berlin on a pre-planned working visit, where he met with Günter Sautter, the German Chancellor’s Advisor for Foreign Policy and Security. The discussions focused on regional security, negotiation frameworks, and bilateral defense cooperation, specifically the strategic “Drone Deal” between Ukraine and Germany.

Umerov’s office firmly denied that the meetings involved alternative diplomatic tracks, noting that a “limited EU membership” was not discussed.

The clarification came after Politico reported that Umerov had rushed to Berlin for emergency consultations with national security advisors from the “E3” group—Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—prompted by explicit Kremlin threats to launch devastating aerial assaults on the Ukrainian capital.

Umerov’s office pushed back against the narrative of panic or crisis talks.

“There is no emergency meeting,” the press service told Suspilne. “This is routine, planned work with our European colleagues. Yesterday was Brussels, today is Berlin. There will also be several other European capitals later this week.”

On May 25, a telephone call was made between the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov warned that Moscow would initiate “systemic and consistent strikes” against military facilities and “decision-making centers” in Kyiv in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory. Lavrov also highlighted a Russian advisory recommending that the US and other nations immediately evacuate their diplomatic staff from the capital.

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However, on May 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the alarming nature of the Kremlin’s warning, calling assumptions that Russia had specifically targeted Washington with an urgent demand to evacuate its embassy an “exaggeration.” Rubio clarified that Moscow had simply issued a generalized notice to all foreign missions present in Kyiv, Suspilne noted.

Secretary Rubio’s measured response to Moscow’s threats aligns with his previous assessment of the changing military balance in Europe. Rubio had asserted earlier that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have evolved into the strongest and most capable combat force on the continent, driven by invaluable battlefield experience and Western security assistance.

Despite Russia’s deeper mobilization reserves, Rubio noted that Moscow is suffering immense losses, losing an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 soldiers killed per month—a casualty rate roughly five times higher than Ukraine’s. While he acknowledged that diplomatic momentum has temporarily slowed due to renewed battlefield confidence on both sides, Rubio reiterated that Washington remains focused on steering both Kyiv and Moscow back toward eventual negotiations.

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