Russia to reduce Poland's diplomatic presence in tit-for-tat move

Russia has pledged to curtail Poland's diplomatic operations on its territory in a retaliatory measure following Warsaw's closure of the Russian consulate in the city of Gdansk. The announcement, made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, escalates a ongoing diplomatic dispute between the two European nations, further shrinking their official channels of communication.

A Cycle of Reciprocal Closures

The Gdansk consulate was the last Russian consular office operating in Poland. Warsaw had previously shuttered Russian consulates in Poznan and Krakow over the past year, justifying the moves by alleging Moscow's involvement in sabotage activities. In response to those initial closures, Russia had already closed Polish consulates in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

The Official Russian Statement

Zakharova formally characterized the upcoming reduction as a "reciprocal measure," confirming the policy to the state-run Tass news agency. The specific details regarding the scale of the reduction or which Polish diplomatic positions or services will be affected were not immediately disclosed. The move continues a pattern of tit-for-tat diplomatic downsizing.

The Current Diplomatic Landscape

Following the closure in Gdansk, Russia now maintains only its embassy in Warsaw within Poland. On the other side, Poland currently operates an embassy in Moscow and retains one consulate general in Irkutsk, in addition to its consular section in the Russian capital. This new action will further pare down Poland's official presence inside Russia.