Kyiv says it terminates land lease deal with Russian Embassy

A police officer and members of the Ukrainian National Guard stand in front of the Russian embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine February 23, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Thursday said the city had terminated the Russian Embassy's deal to lease land in the capital and wanted the property to be returned to the Ukrainian state.

Ukraine broke off relations with Russia after the February 2022 invasion. There are no Russian diplomats in the embassy building, which lies to the west of the city centre.

"Today, Kyiv city council terminated the land lease agreement with the embassy of the aggressor-state - Russia," Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

FILE PHOTO-Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko attends an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

"It also appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine regarding the return of the property of the 'diplomatic establishment' of the Russian barbarians to the Ukrainian state," he said.

In response, Russia's RIA news agency cited a Moscow source as saying that if Ukraine did nationalise the embassy building, Kyiv would automatically lose ownership rights to its diplomatic missions in Russia.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler)