this post was submitted on 13 May 2025
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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 ...

[...]

top 18 comments
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[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Poland and france the only once actually caring about european future

[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 hour ago

Nah, I would include at least the Baltics and Nordics?

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (3 children)

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.

[–] vxx@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 hour ago

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

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

I’m astounded that Poland still had a Russian embassy.

[–] Melchior@feddit.org 3 points 5 hours ago

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.

[–] Gloria@sh.itjust.works 27 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

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.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 21 points 8 hours ago

Imagine a World without Russia. No Arson Attacks

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

[–] Oneser@lemm.ee 11 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I guess what @gloria@Gloria@sh.itjust.works meant was that Russia is one of the biggest threats to Europe - which is not sooo wrong to say the least ...

[–] Anonymaus@feddit.org 0 points 5 hours ago

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

[–] nesc@lemmy.cafe -3 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

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.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 2 points 5 hours ago

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

[–] Anonymaus@feddit.org 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] nesc@lemmy.cafe 0 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] Anonymaus@feddit.org 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

For that you need total victory which is gonna be hard

[–] nesc@lemmy.cafe 1 points 1 hour ago