Russian and Polish officials exchanged harsh words on Tuesday over Poland’s recent move to demolish Soviet-era war monuments. Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Poland of “consequences” if the demolition plans are carried out.
On June 22, Polish President Andrzej Duda approved amendments to an anti-propaganda law that would lead to the tearing down of Soviet-era monuments, which the Polish side has described as “symbols of a totalitarian regime.”
In an official statement released Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the move as an “outrageous provocation.”
“The monuments of gratitude to the Red Army and the Soviet soldier-liberators remind us that thanks to the victory over fascism, to which the Soviet Union made a decisive contribution, Poland has remained a state and the Polish people were not annihilated or expelled, and remained to live on their lands,” the statement reads.
“The Polish authorities, undoubtedly, are well aware of how insulting their actions are to the Russian people.”