WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s overseas minister mentioned Tuesday that he’s ordering the closure of one in all three Russian consulates within the nation in response to acts of sabotage together with arson assaults that he mentioned had been sponsored by Moscow.
Radek Sikorski demanded that Russia cease what he known as hybrid warfare actions towards Poland and its Western allies, warning that Poland reserves the fitting “to take additional decisive motion” if they do not cease.
“Because the minister of overseas affairs, I’ve data that the Russian Federation is behind makes an attempt at sabotage, each in Poland and in allied international locations,” Sikorski informed reporters in Warsaw.
He mentioned he was withdrawing consent for the Russian Consulate in Poznan, and that its personnel can be unwelcome in Poland. Russia additionally has consulates in Gdansk and Krakow.
Russian Overseas Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova promised “a painful response to one more hostile act” in feedback to state information company RIA Novosti.
Sikorski cited the arrest in January of a Ukrainian citizen who he mentioned admitted that Russian brokers informed him to hold out an arson assault within the metropolis of Wroclaw. The assault was foiled, and the 51-year-old man, recognized solely as Serhii S., is awaiting a court docket trial.
Sikorski alleged that about 20 such sabotage suspects are beneath investigation in Poland, and that he has information of different such arson plans in allied international locations.
“Putin have to be deterred,” the overseas minister mentioned in an interview Monday on the non-public TVN broadcaster. “We now have different such arson assaults throughout Europe, throughout Europe, and we all know in regards to the Russian plans for additional arson assaults.”
The professional-European Union authorities in Warsaw says Russia is pursuing acts of hybrid warfare towards Poland and different Western international locations in retaliation for his or her help for Poland’s neighbor Ukraine in its wrestle towards Russia’s invasion.
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Comply with AP’s protection of the warfare in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
