Russia vows harsh response to Poland’s Seizure of embassy school

Russia has promised a harsh response to Poland’s “illegal seizure” of an embassy school in the capital Warsaw.

Polish media reported that the country’s police had showed up outside the Russian embassy school in Warsaw on Saturday morning.

Polish authorities had burst onto the embassy school’s grounds with the aim of seizing it, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement later in the day, describing the move as a “blatant violation” of international agreements.

The ministry slammed the move as a “hostile” act in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and as an encroachment against Russian diplomatic property in Poland.

“Such an insolent step by Warsaw, which goes beyond the framework of civilized inter-state relations, will not remain without a harsh reaction and consequences for the Polish authorities and Polish interests in Russia,” it added.

But when asked about the incident, Polish foreign ministry spokesman Łukasz Jasina said the building, used as a high school for the children of diplomats, belongs to the Warsaw city hall and that the authorities had acted on a bailiff’s order.

“Our opinion, which has been confirmed by the courts, is that this property belongs to the Polish state and was taken by Russia illegally,” Jasina added.

Russia’s ambassador in Poland Sergei Andreyev also reacted to the incident, warning Warsaw of retaliation.

“This is an illegal act. An intrusion on a diplomatic facility,” said Andreyev. “Of course, there will be a reaction [from Russia].”