Latest news with #RadoslawSikorski
Al Jazeera
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia closing Polish consulate in Kaliningrad in tit-for-tat move
Russia says it will close Poland's consulate in Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania, after Warsaw decided to shut down the Russian consulate in Krakow. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the move on Friday. This follows Poland ordering the Russian consulate in the southern city of Krakow to shut in May after authorities accused Moscow of orchestrating a fire that destroyed a Warsaw shopping centre last year. The May 12, 2024, arson destroyed more than 1,000 shops at the Marywilska 44 centre, but no one was injured. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski accused Russian special services of involvement, saying there was evidence they had committed a 'reprehensible act of sabotage' against the centre. Russia denied any involvement in the attack. In May, Russia promised an 'adequate response' to Poland's move, and on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said it was 'withdrawing consent for the functioning of the Consulate General of Poland in Kaliningrad from August 29'. It also said Poland's charge d'affaires in Russia was summoned and handed a formal note announcing the move, citing 'unfriendly' and 'unjustified' actions by the Polish government. 'This step was caused by the unfounded and hostile actions of the Polish side, expressed in the reduction of the Russian consular presence on the territory of Poland,' it added. Strained ties Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pawel Wronski said Russia's decision to close the consulate was unjustified. The possibility of this decision 'was taken into account by the Foreign Ministry', he told reporters on Friday. But he added that this 'doesn't mean that it is a legitimate decision'. 'Unlike Russia, Poland does not engage in sabotage, cyberattacks or conduct actions against the Russian state,' he said. He added that Poland would 'respond adequately' to the decision, without elaborating. Diplomatic ties between Moscow and Warsaw have been historically strained and have frayed further over Russia's war in Ukraine. Poland, a NATO and European Union member, is one of the main countries through which Western nations supply weapons and ammunition to Kyiv. In May 2024, Poland imposed restrictions on the movements of Russian diplomats on its soil due to Moscow's 'involvement' in what it called a 'hybrid war'. Poland later ordered the closure of Russia's consulate in Poznan and said it was willing to close the other consulates if acts of 'terrorism' continued. In January, Russia closed the Polish consulate in St Petersburg in retaliation. Apart from the embassies, both countries now only have one consulate left on their respective territories.
Russia Today
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russia closes EU state's consulate in border region
Russia has ordered the closure of Poland's consulate in the exclave of Kaliningrad, citing 'hostile actions' by Warsaw, as relations between the two countries continue to unravel over the Ukraine conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday it had summoned Poland's chargé d'affaires and handed over a note formally withdrawing consent for the Polish consulate in Kaliningrad to operate. The mission is due to be shut down on August 29. The ministry explained that the move comes in response to the 'unfounded and hostile actions' of Poland, which closed Russia's consulate in Krakow in late June 'under a contrived pretext.' 'No unfriendly attack against our country will remain without an appropriate response and consequences,' officials added. Apart from the Kaliningrad mission, Poland continues to maintain an embassy in Moscow as well as a consulate in Irkutsk, in central Russia. Russia, in turn, operates an embassy in Warsaw and a consulate in Gdansk. Tensions between Moscow and Warsaw have been running high for years, particularly since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, with Poland emerging as one of Kiev's staunchest supporters and as one of the fiercest critics of Russia. In May, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced that the Russian consulate in Krakow would be closed in response to what he claimed was Moscow's alleged involvement in a fire at a Warsaw shopping mall in 2024. Russia has denied the accusation. That same month, Warsaw imposed new restrictions confining Russian diplomats in Poland to the provinces where they are posted. Before that, in April 2023, all funds in the accounts of the Russian embassy and trade office in Warsaw were seized by the Polish prosecutor's office. At the time, Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreyev warned that diplomatic relations between Moscow and Warsaw, already deeply strained, could deteriorate even further, or be severed entirely.
Russia Today
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Poland unhappy with Trump-Putin dialogue after Kiev strike
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has appealed to US President Donald Trump to resume military aid to Ukraine, complaining that a recent Russian airstrike caused damage to the Polish Embassy compound in Kiev. The Russian military said its long-range strikes overnight were in response to 'terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime.' Targets included industrial facilities involved in military drone and instrument production in Kiev, an airfield, and an oil refinery, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. 'Please restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor,' Sikorski wrote on X on Friday, addressing Trump. He also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of 'mocking' America's peace initiatives. In a separate post in Polish, Sikorski confirmed that no one was injured in the incident. Moscow says it does not target non-military targets, while attributing collateral damage to Ukraine's air defenses and Kiev's alleged propensity to station military assets in civilian areas. The Ukrainian military reported that Russia launched over 330 drones in what was described as the single largest drone offensive to date. With the addition of missile strikes, the total number of projectiles totaled around 550, Air Force spokesperson Yury Ignat said. While the US has paused certain weapons deliveries to Ukraine to preserve its own strategic reserves, Trump clarified on Thursday that there has not been a complete freeze on military aid. That day, Trump and Putin held a phone discussion, which the US president later characterized as disappointing due to a lack of progress toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Kiev and its Western backers, including Poland, continue to press Washington to expand the sanctions on Russia and boost military support for Ukraine. They have urged Trump to take the lead instead of shifting the burden onto NATO's European members. One of their key demands is that Moscow agree to an unconditional ceasefire of at least one month. Russia has rejected the idea, describing it as an attempt to allow Ukrainian forces to regroup. During peace talks in Istanbul last month, Moscow proposed a conditional truce within two possible frameworks: One requiring Ukraine to withdrawal from all Russian territories, and the other mandating a halt to Ukrainian mobilization and the suspension of Western military aid. Both were rejected.
Russia Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Putin is ‘mocking' Trump
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'mocking' his US counterpart Donald Trump's peace initiatives. The top Polish diplomat took to X on Friday to respond to a series of overnight Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian drone production facilities, an airfield and an oil refinery, which Moscow said was a response to 'terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime.' . 'President Trump, Putin is mocking your peace efforts. Please restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor,' Sikorski wrote, complaining that a Russian strike had damaged the Polish embassy compound in Kiev. Ukraine's military reported that Russia launched over 330 drones in what was described as the largest single drone offensive to date. With the addition of missile strikes, the total number of projectiles reached approximately 550, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yury Ignat estimated. Moscow says it never targets non-military targets and attributes collateral damage to Ukrainian air defenses and Kiev's alleged propensity to station military assets in civilian areas. The US has paused certain weapons deliveries to Ukraine to preserve its own strategic reserves. Trump clarified on Thursday that there was no complete freeze on military aid while announcing that he and Putin had held a phone call, which the US president characterized as disappointing. Kiev and its Western backers, including Poland, continue to press Washington to expand sanctions on Russia, boost military support for Ukraine, while hoping Trump will continue to pick up the considerable financial burden arming Ukraine places on the US budget. One of their key demands is that Moscow agree to an unconditional ceasefire lasting at least a month. Russia has rejected that proposal, describing it as an attempt to allow Ukrainian forces to regroup. During peace talks in Istanbul last month, Moscow proposed a conditional truce offering two possible frameworks: one requiring Ukrainian troop withdrawal from all Russian territories; and the other, mandating a halt to Ukrainian mobilization and suspension of Western military aid. Both were rejected.
Al Arabiya
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Polish embassy damaged in Russian attack on Kyiv
The Polish embassy was damaged during a Russian attack on Kyiv overnight, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Friday, adding that nobody was hurt. 'In a massive (Russian) attack on Kyiv, the building of our embassy's consular section was damaged,' Sikorski wrote on X. 'I just spoke with Ambassador Lukasiewicz; everyone is safe and sound. Ukraine urgently needs air defense resources.'
