Russian ambassador summoned to Polish foreign ministry

Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russia’s ambassador to Poland on Tuesday afternoon, in connection with statements made by Russian MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky earlier this week. The ministry’s spokesperson Marcin Wojciechowski wrote about it on Twitter but declined to give any details. Later that day, Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski told Polsat News that Zhirinovsky is deputy speaker of the Russian parliament and his words should be treated seriously. Poland had to voice its protest, he stressed. The Russian ambassador was asked about the official stance of his country’s authorities. Sikorski did not reveal further details of the conversation. Speaking for TV station Rossiya 24 on Monday, Zhirinovsky suggested that Poland and the Baltic States could be easily “annihilated” by Russia, so they should be cautious about their situation with regard to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.