Poland to close last Russian consulate over unprecedented act of sabotage'

"I have decided to withdraw consent for the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdansk, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told journalists on Wednesday. list of 3 itemsend of list Sikorski said he had repeatedly warned Russia that its diplomatic and consular presence would be reduced further if it did not cease hostile actions against Poland, Polish news agency PAP reported. The move means the only Russian diplomatic mission that will remain open in Poland will be the embassy in Warsaw."

"Relations with Poland have completely deteriorated. This is probably a manifestation of this deterioration the Polish authorities' desire to reduce any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations to zero, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the consulate closure. One can only express regret here This has nothing to do with common sense. Later on Wednesday, Russia's state news agency TASS quoted Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying Moscow will respond by reducing Poland's diplomatic and consular presence in the country."

Poland withdrew consent for the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdansk, eliminating Russia's consular presence outside its embassy in Warsaw. The closure followed a sabotage attack on a railway line linking Warsaw to the border with Ukraine, which Polish authorities described as an unprecedented act and linked two suspects to collaboration with Russian secret services. Poland's foreign minister had warned that diplomatic and consular presence would be reduced if hostile actions persisted. The Kremlin accused Poland of Russophobia and framed the move as part of deteriorated relations. Russia announced it will respond by reducing Poland's diplomatic and consular presence in Russia.

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