Kyiv City Council terminates land lease agreement with Russian Embassy

The Kyiv City Council has terminated the lease agreement on the land plot on which the building of the Russian Embassy is located, Mayor Vitaly Klichko said Thursday.

In a statement on Telegram, Klichko also called on the government of Ukraine to confiscate the embassy's building.

Russia's state-run RIA news agency cited a source in the government as saying that Ukraine will deprive itself of ownership of real estate in Russia if it decides to denounce the land lease agreement with the Russian Embassy.

"If the Government of Ukraine decides to renounce this agreement and nationalize the building of our embassy, it will automatically deprive itself of ownership of its real estate in Russia, since this agreement regulates the status of both embassies.

"In any case, Kyiv should understand that the Russian response to unfriendly steps against our diplomatic property will be adequate and based on the principle of reciprocity," the source said.

The proposal to terminate the lease agreement and to expropriate the embassy's building in favor of Ukraine was made in early April by the presidential party the Servant of the People.