Notes from Poland 7/14/2023
Russia has ordered the closure of the Polish consulate in the city of Smolensk, saying that the decision was made due to “unfriendly, anti-Russian actions” by Poland. Warsaw has described the decision as “incomprehensible” and promised to take equivalent action in response.
In a legal act published today, the Russian government ordered the consulate’s closure. The Smolensk facility is one of four Polish consulates in Russia, in addition to the embassy in Moscow.
In a statement issued to the Interfax news agency, the Russian government said that the decision had been made “as a result of the unfriendly actions of the Polish government, which are of an anti-Russian nature”. It pointed to the “illegal seizure of Russian diplomatic property on Polish territory”.
In May this year, local authorities in Warsaw seized a building used by the Russian embassy as a school for the children of diplomats. The Russians had refused to vacate the premises despite a 2016 court order requiring them to do so.
Last year, Warsaw also took control of a former Russian diplomatic compound that Moscow had also refused to vacate in violation of a court order. Similar action was taken against a property that the Russian embassy had been failing to pay rent for. All those moves were condemned by Moscow.
More:
https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/07/14/russia-closes-polish-consulate-due-to-unfriendly-acts-poland-pledges-equivalent-response/
