Russia closes Polish consulate in Saint Petersburg in tit-for-tat move

MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday ordered the Polish consulate in Saint Petersburg to close in retaliation for the Poland shutting the Russian consulate in the Polish city of Poznan, the foreign ministry said.
Poland announced it was closing the Russian consulate in Poznan in October, accusing Moscow of “sabotage” attempts in the country and its allies.
“Guided by the principle of reciprocity, three diplomatic staff members of the consulate general of the Republic of Poland in Saint Petersburg have been declared persona non grata,” Moscow’s foreign ministry said.
It said the consulate must close and its staff leave Russia by January 10, 2025.
Poland responded that it would close all the Russian consulates on its soil if “terrorism” it blamed on Moscow carried on.
“If acts of diversion and terrorism continue, I will close down the rest of the Russian consulate presence in Poland,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters after Moscow announced the closure of the Saint Petersburg consulate.
Tensions between Russia and NATO member Poland have escalated since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, with both sides expelling dozens of diplomats.
Poland is a staunch ally of Kyiv and has been a key transit point for Western arms heading to the embattled country since the conflict began.
It has accused Russia of being behind espionage and sabotage attempts on its territory.
In one of the largest espionage trials, Poland last year convicted 14 citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine of preparing sabotage on behalf of Moscow as part of a spy ring.
They were found guilty of preparing to derail trains carrying aid to Ukraine, and monitoring military facilities and critical infrastructure in the country.