Kremlin says ‘nothing good’ in ties with Poland after seizure of Russian Embassy school

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Kremlin said on Tuesday that “nothing good” awaits relations between Russia and Poland after the seizure of the Russian Embassy school in the Polish capital Warsaw by local police on Saturday.

"Judging by the behavior of the Polish authorities now, nothing good awaits our bilateral relations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a press briefing.

Peskov said that Russophobia on the minds of Polish authorities “absolutely deprives them of sobriety” in their approach to everything related to Russia and that it also deprives them of taking “intelligible and thoughtful” actions.

All this may not remain without consequences, Peskov further said.

Last Saturday, Polish police broke open the doors of the Russian Embassy school in Warsaw, blocked the exits, and gave people until 7 p.m. local time (1700GMT) to leave the campus.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Poland's "hostile actions" are a "blatant violation" of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and an encroachment on Russian diplomatic property.

In a separate statement on Telegram, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the Polish authorities’ actions as “provocation,” adding that Moscow will give a tough response to the seizure in the coming days.

Ties between Moscow and Warsaw, one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies, have further deteriorated since the war in Ukraine started in February 2022.

Peskov also slammed the weapons supply to Ukraine from Germany, saying that these weapons are “already firing at the territory of Russia because the Donbas is a Russian region," adding that the direct and indirect involvement of Germany in the war is increasing every day.

- Azerbaijan-Armenia tension

Peskov also commented on recent tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying the situation between the two countries can be resolved on the basis of the trilateral agreements signed among Moscow, Baku, and Yerevan.

"The solution of the existing problems between the two countries and the possible development of some joint actions and steps aimed at reducing tension in the region are primarily possible on the basis of trilateral documents that were signed together with Russia,” Peskov said.

Peskov further said there are no other legal bases that would contribute to the settlement of the tensions thus far, defining the tripartite documents as “absolutely uncontested.”

“Of course, any help for a settlement on this basis can be welcomed. But we also know that there are various attempts that blur the basis for a settlement, which in the future may not give a result. Let's hope that in this case, we are talking about the first case," Peskov said with regard to the meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington on Sunday.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, in 44 days of clashes, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

- Nord Stream explosion

Peskov also called for speeding up the investigation into the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions last September.

"Russian ships navigate the Baltic, this is normal. Everyone has hundreds of photos of Russian ships," he said with regard to Danish claims that defense patrols spotted Russian vessels days before the Nord Stream pipeline explosion.

"We once again insist: If there is any data, it must be published. The investigation into this terrorist attack must be transparent for everyone, and it must be accelerated. The world must find out the perpetrators of this terrorist act," he said.

German, Swedish, and Danish authorities are investigating the undersea explosions that caused leaks on the two Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea last September.

Russia called for an international UN-led inquiry into the sabotage, but the request was not supported by the Security Council.