Warsaw annulled the visas of Russian experts right before an OSCE conference in the Polish capital
Poland decision to prevent Moscow’s delegation from attending a conference by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) proves that Warsaw is not interested in security or cooperation on the continent, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
The Russian Public Institute of Electoral Law (ROIIP) said on Sunday that Poland annulled the visas of its experts, who had been invited by the OSCE to take part in the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, on the eve of the event. The Polish authorities did not provide any explanation for the decision, it said.
Zakharova reacted to the snub on Monday, telling Tass news agency that “the authorities in Warsaw have long been engaged in destructive activities aimed at undermining and decimating the very essence of the OSCE.”
The OSCE had been established more than five decades ago to “promote security and cooperation” on the European continent, but it seems that the Polish government simply cannot accept such goals, she claimed.
“They apparently do not need this organization. They do not need the spirit and letter of the agreements laying its foundation,” she stressed.
Instead of engaging in “endless manipulative actions” that have “already become the hallmark of the Polish authorities,” Warsaw should openly admit its stance and “understand where this is going to lead,” she said.
“Thanks to the efforts of NATO members, there is little left of security and cooperation” in Europe, Zakharova argued.
Late last month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the country’s public to accept that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev is “our war.” He also urged the West to increase support for Ukraine, claiming that if Russia wins “the consequences will affect not only our generation, but also future generations – in Poland, throughout Europe, in the US, everywhere in the world.”
Tensions between Moscow and Warsaw spiked earlier in September, after the Polish authorities accused Russia of drone incursions into their territory. The Russian Defense Ministry denied having any plans of targeting the NATO country and offered hold consultations with the Polish military on the matter. Poland has not responded to the invitation.
