Poland has decided to close its last remaining Russian consulate in Gdansk, according to Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. The move comes amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions, following recent railway sabotage incidents attributed to Moscow. Polish authorities have swiftly blamed Russia for these attacks, which targeting lines used to transport Western military aid to Ukraine. The decision follows prior actions, including the closure of other Russian consulates, with Russia vowing reciprocal measures. Moscow has already taken steps to reduce Poland’s diplomatic presence in Russia, signaling a deepening rift in their bilateral relations.
The closures follow a pattern of retaliatory measures, with each country targeting the other’s consulates in response to alleged involvement in past incidents. In May, Poland closed the Russian consulate in Krakow, citing Moscow’s alleged involvement in a May 2024 fire at a Warsaw mall. Russia responded in July by ordering the closure of Poland’s consulate in Kaliningrad. Last October, Warsaw shut the Russian consulate in Poznan, followed by Moscow’s closure of the Polish Consulate General in St. Petersburg in December. The current action mirrors this trend, highlighting the deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Russian officials have strongly criticized the decision, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that Moscow would mirror the step, reducing “Poland’s diplomatic-consular presence in Russia.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “relations with Poland have completely deteriorated.” He criticized Warsaw’s apparent intention to “reduce to zero any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations” with Moscow, calling it “has nothing to do with common sense.”