Polish-Russian Dispute Over the Russian Embassy School in Warsaw
Over the past year tensions between Poland and Russia have escalated concerning the ownership and control of lands and facilities associated with the Russian diplomatic mission in Poland. According to statements from the Russian embassy in Warsaw, Polish authorities increasingly pressed for the transfer of buildings and school property into Polish state ownership. The embassy asserted that these demands grew more persistent as time went on, creating a climate of tension around the status of Russian diplomatic real estate on Polish soil.
The Russian mission recalled a prior incident in April of the previous year when Polish authorities took possession of one of the buildings belonging to the Russian diplomatic mission. This episode, cited by the embassy, underscored the seriousness with which Warsaw viewed the issue of property tied to the Russian state and its diplomatic presence in Poland. The embassy stated that such actions raised concerns about the potential treatment of other properties, including the school facility connected to the embassy complex.
In light of these events, the Russian diplomatic mission did not rule out the possibility that similar measures could be applied to the school building itself. The concern emphasized by the embassy focused on how the Polish side might respond to the long established presence of the school and its associated premises within Warsaw, and what that would mean for the diplomatic mission’s ability to operate.
On the morning of April 29, Polish authorities proceeded with the seizure of the school building housed within the Russian Embassy compound in Warsaw. The action was accompanied by a directive requiring school staff to vacate the premises and remove their belongings by 19:00 Moscow time on the same day. This rapid timeframe added to the sense of abrupt change surrounding the school facility and intensified the immediate disruption experienced by those connected to the institution.
In response to the confiscation, the Russian Embassy submitted a formal protest note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. The protest highlighted the unilateral nature of the move and called into question the legal and diplomatic implications of transferring or seizing a school facility that served a diplomatic mission. The action was presented as a breach of customary diplomatic norms and a challenge to the inviolability typically afforded to diplomatic properties.
Dmitry Peskov, who served as a spokesperson for the President of Russia at the time, commented on the broader context of the dispute. He argued that anti-Russian sentiment, or Russophobia, was influencing the Polish authorities and clouding their judgment in matters connected to Russia. The remarks reflected a broader narrative from Moscow about how political rhetoric might shape decisions affecting diplomatic property and bilateral relations.