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Poland closes Russian consulate in Krakow over Warsaw mall blaze, says Russia recruited arsonists on social media

c/europe · u/Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org · 173 points

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“In light of the evidence that Russian intelligence services were behind the reprehensible act of sabotage at the shopping centre on Marywilska Street, I have decided to revoke the operating permit of the Russian Federation’s Consulate in Krakow,” Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski wrote on [social media].

The move follows the arrest of several suspects and an international investigation involving Lithuanian authorities, which uncovered similar sabotage efforts.

The closure of the consulate comes just a month after local media reported that authorities had quietly renewed the building’s lease, triggering protests in Kraków.

The fire, which broke out in May last year, destroyed 90% of the centre, but fortunately there were no casualties. It is now seen as part of a wider pattern of Russian-backed sabotage across central and eastern Europe.

[...]

In related news, Poland says Russia recruited arsonists for Warsaw fire on social media.

>"We have evidence that they commissioned people living in Poland, they commissioned them on Telegram and paid them to set fire to this huge shopping mall," Sikorski said on Monday ...

>The May 2024 fire destroyed 1,400 small businesses, with many of the staff there belonging to Warsaw's Vietnamese community ...

[...]

Comments

u/Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 points

Sorry yes ofc

I was more talking about the "big countrys with power in the EU"

I know lots more care. Especially the people

u/Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 points

And spies arent protected under geneva convention. And russia says we are at war with them...sooooooo

u/Melchior@feddit.org · 4 points

A consulate is not an embassy, but sort of a local branch of the main embassy to a region. So closing one is not as radical an act. It is also not the first time that happened. After the war a lot of European countries kicked out Russian diplomatic staff, which forced them to close a number of consulates, however not an embassy as far as I know.

u/vxx@lemmy.world · 3 points

I don't think you can call them diplomats when in reality they're spies.

u/nesc@lemmy.cafe · 0 points

That's why I've mentioned other things that should be implemented.

u/Nougat@fedia.io · 3 points

While this is true, the same can be said of pretty much anywhere. Putin, Trump, Hitler - all symptoms.

u/KumaSudosa@feddit.dk · 0 points

No. Putin very much formed the 21st century Russian state and broke with Jeltsin's doctrine. Putin is not a symptom he is the disease. And yes, now there'll be a guy to replace him but that guy is also his doing.

u/Anonymaus@feddit.org · -1 points

Complete destruction and partitioning has already been tried on germany after ww1 and it lead to even more destruction and death, so that not a solution

u/Anonymaus@feddit.org · -2 points

Yeah but usa isn't far behind unfortunately, and they can hurt eu in ways russia cant

u/tal@lemmy.today · 25 points

>Imagine a World without Russia. No Arson Attacks

Well, fewer arson attacks. Russia's only responsible for some of them.

u/Oneser@lemm.ee · 13 points

I don't think I can agree on this take that without this bad actor, Europe would be without concerns. It seems too simple.

Resources are not equally distributed and conflict will always arise from conflicting private/corporate and/or national interests. If Russia was not there, another would likely take its place.

I do however agree that if everyone could think in a bigger picture beyond their own personal interests, we would be in a significantly better place.

u/nesc@lemmy.cafe · -5 points

It's not by p*tin's will they are the way they are, he is just a mirror. Without complete destruction and partitioning of their empire, without mass prosecution of public figures, without changing their whole culture it's just pointless, they will return to their current course in 10 years.

u/Gloria@sh.itjust.works · 28 points

Imagine a World without Russia. No Arson Attacks, No Seacable sabotage, no instigation of political groups, way less political killings in european countries, a whole war would have not happenend, no straigh lying into other peoples faces... and the best: The country known as russia and its citizen had at least a chance for the first time in 100 years, to make things right and maybe, just maybe gain the benefits of their resources and labor. Maybe have a stable social contract. Maybe have less curruption. Maybe showing less Nuclear Strike plans on european cities. Maybe have a free and open press and not just state TV. Chances for everyone and not just the moscow/petersburg diaspora that is ruling the country. Maybe having a discourse about natural energy insteadt of destroying their own nature by oil and gas. Maybe having a discussion about womans right and domestic abuse. Maybe having a discussion about empathy and how to love your neighbors.

But no, Putin exist and he is shaping russia and russians in his will. The worst leader a country can have.

u/CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 points

Edit: thank you for folks pointing out that it was a consulate closing not an embassy. Consulates are a bit different but closing one is still a big deal. I'll leave my comment unchanged otherwise but keep in mind that closing of any diplomatic relations is always a bad thing.

It's important for people to understand what the purpose of an embassy is to the host country. It provides an avenue to the guest country where both informal and formal discussions about their relations can occur.

The closing of an embassy is usually the precursor to war. It's basically the host country saying, "You have committed such a heinous act that we will no longer honor your diplomats here. We will no longer try to deescalate with words."

I'm genuinely surprised that it took this long for a country to close a Russian embassy.