Polish Foreign Minister warns Russia of full consulate shutdown in Poland
Photo: Radosław Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland (Getty Images)
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that all Russian consulates in his country could be closed. This would be in response to the closure of the Polish consulate in St. Petersburg, TVP World informs.
What preceded it
Today, the Russian Federation announced the closure of the Polish Consulate General in St. Petersburg. This is reportedly in response to earlier statements from Poland.
"Guided by the principle of reciprocity, three diplomatic staff members of the consulate general of the Republic of Poland in Saint Petersburg have been declared persona non grata," stated the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the end of October, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Poznań, explaining that Poland is protecting itself and its citizens from Russia's influence.
In addition to Poznań, Poland hosts two other Russian consulates: in Kraków and Gdańsk.
Poland's reaction to Russia's actions
Today, Sikorski stated that the decision to close the Russian consulate in Poznań was made in response to Russia's influence on Poland.
"We had previously taken the decision to limit the areas of Poland, where Russian diplomats may travel. That wasn’t enough to warn them that we know what they’re doing. So we took the next step, and if act of diversion terrorism continue, I will close down the rest of Russian consulate present in Poland," said Sikorski.
Sikorski also mentioned that Poland expected such actions from Russia and that this Russian decision was made "with worthy indifference."
Diplomatic relations between Poland and Russia
Diplomatic relations between Poland and Russia significantly deteriorated after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Poland became one of Ukraine's key allies, providing military, humanitarian, and political support. This, along with other aspects of Russian aggression, led to increased tensions between Warsaw and Moscow.
In May 2022, Poland expelled several Russian diplomats, accusing them of espionage, and severed much of its economic and energy ties with Russia. Warsaw has also actively supported EU sanctions against Russia and advocates for their strengthening.
Poland insists on increasing international pressure on Russia while remaining open to accepting Ukrainian refugees and supporting Kyiv. Warsaw continues to call for the isolation of Russia and criticizes its actions on the international stage.
Earlier, we reported that a 51-year-old Ukrainian citizen in Poland admitted that "Russian services ordered him to set fire to Wrocław."
