Poland closes its consulate general in Russian city of St. Petersburg

Poland on Wednesday officially closed its consulate general in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, over a month after Moscow said it would close the diplomatic mission in a tit-for-tat response to Warsaw's closure of its consulate in the city of Poznan.

A statement by the Polish Foreign Ministry said a closing ceremony for the consulate general was held in St. Petersburg with the participation of Poland's ambassador to Russia, Krzysztof Krajewski.

The statement quoted Krajewski expressing hope that the consular mission would return to St. Petersburg in "better times," adding that Polish representative offices continue to operate in the cities of Moscow, Kaliningrad, and Irkutsk.

The Russian state news agency TASS reported separately that the Polish and EU flags have been removed from the flagpoles outside the building, as well as the sign of the diplomatic mission next to the building's entrance.

On Dec. 5, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow will "withdraw its consent" to the functioning of the consulate as of Jan. 10, 2025, and announced that three diplomatic employees of the Polish consulate were also declared persona non grata.

The statement said Moscow's decision was "guided by the principle of reciprocity," accusing Poland of pursuing an "openly hostile policy" toward Russia.

"One of the manifestations of this anti-Russian course was the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Poznan under a far-fetched pretext," the statement added.

In October 2024, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced that Warsaw decided to close the Russian Consulate in Poznan and expel diplomats for alleged sabotage attempts.