Berlin called him in. Germany's Foreign Ministry urgently summoned the Russian ambassador after Moscow's official „warning" to Western diplomatic missions in Kyiv - a message that, in diplomatic language, barely differs from a threat.

Moscow stated that foreign missions in the Ukrainian capital should move their staff out. Berlin replied sharply: „We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated and we will continue to strongly support Ukraine." German officials said withdrawing staff from Kyiv is not on the table - a message that is both a response to Moscow and a signal to every European embassy in the same situation.

Germany, after the US, is Ukraine's largest military and financial backer. That makes its embassy in Kyiv a concrete target of Russian political pressure - not necessarily physical, but political and informational. Moscow always has a choice - selective pressure on specific states, because it knows where everyone feels it most. Germany is that point.

Diplomatic relations between Berlin and Moscow are at the bottom of every line. In the past three years there have been several episodes of mutual expulsion of diplomats, closure of consulates, the cutting of specific communication channels. This incident narrows the remnants further - and that's strategic cynicism, because exactly when parallel communication is needed, there is none.

For the Balkans, this looks like distant news - but it isn't. When Berlin and Moscow are in open diplomatic conflict, it means the northern Balkans are also at a fork in the road. Countries still trying to play both sides - Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria to a certain extent - are being tested. The question in the coming months isn't who'll be right; the question is who will give up the half-in approach and have to choose.