Russian diplomats in Poland were ready at any time to pack their bags and put a padlock on the embassy, said Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev while appearing on the prime-time show of media personality Vlodymir Solovyov, who is associated with a pro-Kremlin stance.
“We have been and are ready. I can assure you that neither I nor my colleagues would be too devastated by a need to leave Poland,” he added. However, in a separate statement, the ambassador confirmed that any such decision could only be taken by Russia’s central authorities.
Andreev said that the embassy was ready for “all sorts of hostile actions from their Polish hosts” and that they will be dealt with in a “calm and professional” manner. He added that their only guiding principle would be Russian interests and not any emotions.
The further downturn in Polish-Russian relations has come about as a result of Warsaw city authorities seizing the building used by the embassy for a school for diplomats’ children.
Over the weekend, the police arrived at the building with city officials to enforce a bailiffs’ order that had been issued by a Polish court. The Russians have accused the Polish authorities of forcefully entering the school and committing a “blatant violation of the Vienna Convention” due to an act that interfered with Russian diplomatic property.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Poland of placing itself outside of “civilized norms” and promised that the action “would lead to firm reaction and consequences for the Polish authorities and for Polish interests in Russia.”
Łukasz Jasina, the spokesman for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the action in Warsaw had been cleared with the ministry. The action has been taken because the building had been occupied illegally.
