“In light of the evidence that Russian intelligence services were behind the reprehensible act of sabotage at the shopping centre on Marywilska Street, I have decided to revoke the operating permit of the Russian Federation’s Consulate in Krakow,” Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski wrote on [social media].
The move follows the arrest of several suspects and an international investigation involving Lithuanian authorities, which uncovered similar sabotage efforts.
The closure of the consulate comes just a month after local media reported that authorities had quietly renewed the building’s lease, triggering protests in Kraków.
The fire, which broke out in May last year, destroyed 90% of the centre, but fortunately there were no casualties. It is now seen as part of a wider pattern of Russian-backed sabotage across central and eastern Europe.
[…]
In related news, Poland says Russia recruited arsonists for Warsaw fire on social media.
“We have evidence that they commissioned people living in Poland, they commissioned them on Telegram and paid them to set fire to this huge shopping mall,” Sikorski said on Monday …
The May 2024 fire destroyed 1,400 small businesses, with many of the staff there belonging to Warsaw’s Vietnamese community …
[…]
I don’t think I can agree on this take that without this bad actor, Europe would be without concerns. It seems too simple.
Resources are not equally distributed and conflict will always arise from conflicting private/corporate and/or national interests. If Russia was not there, another would likely take its place.
I do however agree that if everyone could think in a bigger picture beyond their own personal interests, we would be in a significantly better place.
I guess what @gloria@Gloria@sh.itjust.works meant was that Russia is one of the biggest threats to Europe - which is not sooo wrong to say the least …
Yeah but usa isn’t far behind unfortunately, and they can hurt eu in ways russia cant