Poland have expelled 45 Russian diplomats suspected of working for Russian intelligence, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Russia said the accusations were baseless.
"In total, 45 people with varying diplomatic status… were ordered to leave the territory of the Republic of Poland within 5 days," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina told a news conference.
"Russia is our neighbour, it will not disappear from the map of Europe, but the aggression towards Ukraine proves that it is an unfriendly state, and even hostile to Poland,” he said.
He did not give a specific reason for why the alleged spies were being expelled but suggested that they pose an especially grave threat at a time when Poland is accepting large numbers of refugees from Ukraine.
“The illegal activities of these diplomats can also pose a threat to those people who left their country to flee the war and found protection in our country,” he said.
Reportedly, it’s the 33rd day of Russia-Ukraine crisis and for time being Russia has dismissed the possibility of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine says it is pausing civilian evacuations via humanitarian corridors, citing the threat of Russian “provocations.”
Earlier, Poland’s Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said ‘We are dismantling the Russian special services network in our country,” on Twitter.
The relationship between Poland and Russia remains jeopardized over every historical bone of contention.
With Inputs From Reuters
