Poland announced on Saturday that it had seized a high school building near Moscow’s embassy in Warsaw that was intended for the children of diplomats, a move that the Russian envoy deemed “illegal.” The dispute over the multi-storey building, which dates back to the 1970s and is known as the “spy nest” among Warsaw locals, has been ongoing for a year.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina told AFP, “This building belongs to the Warsaw City Hall,” and that the action was taken following a bailiff’s order. The municipality’s spokesman was unavailable for comment.
Poland argues that there is a significant discrepancy in the number of diplomatic buildings each country has in the other.
Moscow’s envoy, Sergei Andreyev, called the move a “violation of Vienna’s convention of diplomatic relations,” and said, “Of course, there will be a reaction.” He added that he did not want to provide more information and that a decision would be made in Moscow.
Mr. Andreyev claimed that the school was part of Russia’s diplomatic mission, with teachers and staff residing on the premises. He went on to say that the school will continue to operate in another section of the Russian embassy’s facilities.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister stated that the move “goes beyond the framework of civilized interstate communication and will not remain without our harsh reaction and consequences for Poland’s interests in Russia.”