Poland to Close Russia's Last Consulate

Tensions in Polish-Russian relations have reached a new peak. Poland has decided to close the last consulate of the Russian Federation operating on its territory. This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radosław Sikorski. He emphasized that the decision will take effect immediately.

"I have decided to withdraw my consent regarding the activities of the last Russian consulate in Gdańsk. The Russian side will be informed about this by an official note in the next few hours," said Sikorski, effectively ending Russia's diplomatic presence in Poland, apart from the embassy.

Moscow's reaction was not long in coming. The press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, described Poland's move as "irrational" and "destructive."

"The closure of the Russian Consulate General in Poland has nothing to do with common sense. One can only express regret," the Kremlin spokesman noted.

He added that relations with Warsaw are at a historic low and have been "completely degraded." This step, in essence, freezes one of the last channels of diplomatic communication between the two countries.