UPDATE: Polish Foreign Ministry responds to closure of Królewiec consulate
In a statement issued on Friday, Russian officials confirmed that Poland’s ambassador had been summoned and formally notified that the consulate in Królewiec, located in the western part of the Kaliningrad region, will suspend its activities from 29 August.
According to TVN24, the move marks the latest escalation in a protracted diplomatic dispute between the two countries, resulting from Russia's ongoing hybrid operations targeting Poland in retaliation for Warsaw's unyielding support of Ukraine's defense against the unlawful Russian invasion.
Since 2023, Poland has officially referred to Kaliningrad and its surrounding area by their historical Polish names, Królewiec and obwód królewiecki - a symbolic change intended to highlight cultural heritage without implying any claim to sovereignty.
Warsaw ordered the closure of Russia’s consulate in Kraków in May, citing evidence that Russian intelligence services were behind an arson attack which destroyed a major shopping complex in Warsaw last year.
Despite clear proof of Russian involvement - Moscow has firmly rejected the accusations, describing them as unfounded and “Russophobic.”
Earlier in 2024, Russia also closed Poland’s consulate in St. Petersburg in retaliation for the closure of its own diplomatic mission in Poznań amid separate, well-grounded allegations of Moscow-orchestrated sabotage on Polish soil.
Read more about the other topics:
(mp/mm)
Source: Radio Poland/Reuters/IAR/TVN24