Russia announced on Thursday that it will close Poland’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg in retaliation for Poland’s closure of Russia’s Consulate in Poznan in October. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming that Moscow will revoke permission for the Polish consulate to operate, effective January 10, 2025.
In addition, three Polish diplomatic staff members were declared “persona non grata” and must leave Russia before the deadline. Moscow accused Polish authorities of adopting an increasingly hostile stance towards Russia, with the closure of the Russian consulate in Poznan seen as a significant example of this approach.
The Russian statement emphasized that this action was taken based on the principle of reciprocity and warned that Moscow would continue to take strong countermeasures against any further unfriendly moves by Poland.
This move follows Poland’s October decision to shut down the Russian consulate in Poznan and expel diplomats, citing alleged attempts of sabotage. Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, had announced the closure, marking an escalation in tensions between the two countries.
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