Polish special services have accused the Russian consul of spreading the coronavirus. This was reported by RIA Novosti with reference to local television.
In February, the Russian consul in the city of Poznan was declared persona non grata. This is how the Polish authorities responded to the Russian side for declaring the Polish consul in St. Petersburg persona non grata for participating in an unauthorized action.
“The Russian consul expelled from Poland was infected with the coronavirus, and yet he took part in meetings and appeared in public places,” said Stanislav Zharin, press secretary of the secret services coordinator minister.
Also, Polish television claims that the diplomat and his daughter allegedly received a positive test result on January 21. Three days earlier, “SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in his wife,” but the consul did not isolate himself, the media said.
On February 18, it became known that Russia was expelling an employee of the Estonian embassy in Moscow. Estonian ambassador Margus Laidre was summoned to the Russian diplomatic department and expressed to him a “strong protest” in connection with the expulsion of an employee of the Russian embassy. This was a response to a similar measure by the Estonian government.
Earlier, Germany, Sweden and Poland announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats. The decision was a response to a similar move by Moscow. Russia announced the expulsion of diplomats from the three countries earlier in February. The protest is connected with the participation of representatives of European departments in unauthorized actions on 23 January. The diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will have to leave the country in the near future.
