Poland Closes Last Russian Consulate in Gdansk, Russia Vows Retaliatory Measures
Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has announced the closure of the last remaining Russian consulate in the country, located in Gdansk. The decision follows a series of railway sabotage incidents in Poland, which were attributed to Russia. Russian officials have vowed to retaliate by reducing Poland’s diplomatic presence in Russia, marking a further deterioration of bilateral relations.
Speaking in an address to the Polish parliament on Wednesday, Sikorski emphasized that Poland does not intend to sever diplomatic ties with Russia, even as it takes this step against the Russian embassy. This move is part of a broader pattern of reciprocal diplomatic closures between the two countries, with Poland having previously closed Russian consulates in Krakow, Poznan, and now Gdansk. Russia, in turn, responded with the closure of Polish consulates in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg.
The decision to close the Gdansk consulate comes amid ongoing accusations that Russia is responsible for the sabotage of rail lines used to transport Western military aid to Ukraine. These incidents, which included the use of military-grade C4 explosives, have heightened tensions between the two nations. Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that authorities have identified two Ukrainians as suspects in the sabotage, alleging that both worked for Russian intelligence and fled to Belarus after the attacks. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any Russian involvement in the incidents.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to the closure by stating that Moscow would mirror the step, reducing