WARSAW: Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Tuesday he had ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Poznan, western Poland, over Moscow’s alleged involvement in “sabotage” attempts within Poland.
Poland, a NATO country and Ukraine’s strong ally, has repeatedly expressed concerns over Russian provocations and frequently accused Moscow of carrying out espionage. Russia warned of a “painful” response to the closure.
“I have information that Russia is behind the attempts at sabotage in Poland and in allied countries,” Sikorski said during a press briefing. “I have therefore taken the decision to withdraw my permission for the Russian consulate to operate in Poznan,” he added, indicating the consulate would be closed in the “coming days.”
The Polish foreign ministry said that the consulate staff would be considered personae non gratae, effectively expelling them from the country.
Meanwhile, Moscow expressed its outrage. “We will give a painful response to this latest hostile step,” warned Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, in comments reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.
The Russian consulate in Poznan is one of four such facilities operating in Poland, alongside the Russian embassy in Warsaw.
Sikorski further said that Poland demands an end to what he described as a “hybrid war against Poland and its allies,” stating that the ministry reserves “the right to take further decisive action” should Moscow continue its alleged sabotage attempts.
