Russia closing Polish consulate in Kaliningrad in tit-for-tat move

In May, Poland ordered Russia’s consulate successful Krakow to unopen aft accusations Moscow orchestrated occurrence astatine Warsaw buying centre.

Russia says it volition adjacent Poland’s consulate successful Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave betwixt Poland and Lithuania, aft Warsaw decided to unopen down the Russian consulate successful Krakow.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the determination connected Friday.

This follows Poland ordering the Russian consulate successful the confederate metropolis of Krakow to unopen successful May aft authorities accused Moscow of orchestrating a occurrence that destroyed a Warsaw buying centre past year.

The May 12, 2024, arson destroyed much than 1,000 shops astatine the Marywilska 44 centre, but nary 1 was injured.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski accused Russian peculiar services of involvement, saying determination was grounds they had committed a “reprehensible enactment of sabotage” against the centre. Russia denied immoderate engagement successful the attack.

In May, Russia promised an “adequate response” to Poland’s move, and connected Friday, the Foreign Ministry said it was “withdrawing consent for the functioning of the Consulate General of Poland successful Kaliningrad from August 29”.

It besides said Poland’s complaint d’affaires successful Russia was summoned and handed a ceremonial enactment announcing the move, citing “unfriendly” and “unjustified” actions by the Polish government.

“This measurement was caused by the unfounded and hostile actions of the Polish side, expressed successful the simplification of the Russian consular beingness connected the territory of Poland,” it added.

Strained ties

Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pawel Wronski said Russia’s determination to adjacent the consulate was unjustified.

The anticipation of this determination “was taken into relationship by the Foreign Ministry”, helium told reporters connected Friday. But helium added that this “doesn’t mean that it is simply a morganatic decision”.

“Unlike Russia, Poland does not prosecute successful sabotage, cyberattacks oregon behaviour actions against the Russian state,” helium said.

He added that Poland would “respond adequately” to the decision, without elaborating.

Diplomatic ties betwixt Moscow and Warsaw person been historically strained and person frayed further implicit Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine.

Poland, a NATO and European Union member, is 1 of the main countries done which Western nations proviso weapons and ammunition to Kyiv.

In May 2024, Poland imposed restrictions connected the movements of Russian diplomats connected its ungraded owed to Moscow’s “involvement” successful what it called a “hybrid war”.

Poland aboriginal ordered the closure of Russia’s consulate successful Poznan and said it was consenting to adjacent the different consulates if acts of “terrorism” continued.

In January, Russia closed the Polish consulate successful St Petersburg successful retaliation.

Apart from the embassies, some countries present lone person 1 consulate near connected their respective territories.