Poland has said the EU should expel more Russian diplomats after its attack on Germany, as Israel sanctions stay on the shelf despite French and Spanish appeals.
“Our ally, Germany, has been attacked in what appears to be a series of actions of state terrorism,” said Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski at an EU meeting in Ireland on Wednesday (2 September), speaking after Germany had accused Russia of a bomb plot at Leipzig airport in August.
“We should make it more difficult for Russian diplomats and spies to operate around Europe. So, closing consulates … insisting that Russian diplomats cannot leave the country to which they are accredited, reducing the numbers of Russian diplomats, many of whom are serving [intelligence] agents and just gearing up for a moment of crisis,” he said.
“We’re no longer in regular peacetime. You know, hybrid war is not just a nuisance on the internet … it now means assassination squads. It means arsons. It means blowing up moving trains”, he added.
“We need to convince [Russian president Vladimir] Putin that such actions are not for free,” said Sikorski.
