This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Poland has ordered three Russian diplomats to leave the embassy in Warsaw in what it said was an act of solidarity with the United States.
The Polish Foreign Ministry said April 15 that three staff members at the Russian Embassy were declared personae non gratae for violating their diplomatic status and conducting activities harmful to Poland.
Earlier on April 15, the United States announced broad sanctions on Russia in retaliation for election interference, cyberattacks, and what Washington described as Moscow’s other “harmful” foreign activities.
As part of a raft of actions against Moscow, the United States said 10 Russian diplomats, including representatives of Russian intelligence services using diplomatic cover, would be expelled from the country.
The White House also formally blamed the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) for being behind a massive hack known as SolarWinds that hit large swaths of the U.S. public and private sectors last year, including at least nine U.S. federal agencies. Russia has denied the accusations.
Poland’s Foreign Ministry said the impact of the SolarWinds hack extends beyond the United States and affects European countries.
Poland stands in solidarity with the United States, it said in a statement. “We strongly advocate that states, the private sector, and individuals adhere to the principles of responsible behavior in cyberspace.”
Russia is likely to respond with a tit-for-tat move by expelling Polish diplomats.
Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee head Leonid Slutsky accused Poland of being “Russophobic” and “behaving like a true vassal of the United States,” according to comments run by Interfax.
