Russian Embassy in Poland halts V-Day events over calls for violence
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The Russian diplomatic mission had planned to hold the Immortal Regiment march and wreath-laying ceremony at the Soviet Military Cemetery on Zwirki and Wigury streets in Warsaw in an open format, but had to reconsider due to calls for violence.
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Russian Embassy in Warsaw (TASS)
Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev told Sputnik, on Saturday, that the Russian embassy in Poland had to limit the number of people invited to the Victory Day celebrations to senior diplomatic personnel due to widespread calls for violence against the attendees.
The Russian diplomatic mission had planned to hold the Immortal Regiment march and wreath-laying ceremony at the Soviet Military Cemetery on Zwirki and Wigury streets in Warsaw in an open format, but had to reconsider due to public outrage.
"When the May 9 event at the cemetery was announced, the internet unleashed a torrent of calls for protest actions [against the Victory Day events], including physical violence on the part of various so-called activists," Andreev said.
The ambassador stated that the embassy decided against holding the planned Victory Day events due to concerns about provocations. Instead, the ambassador, his wife, and senior Russian diplomats will visit the cemetery and lay wreaths to commemorate Nazi Germany's defeat in 1945.
The Russian Embassy in Warsaw informed the Polish Foreign Ministry earlier this week of the plans to hold May 9 celebrations in the capital and urged authorities to ensure public safety during the event. The mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, went so far as to say that "the celebration of the aggressor" should be prohibited entirely.
In response, Polish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Marcin Przydacz stated on social media that Poland "did not plan to provide support to the Russian Federation embassy and will not provide such support," noting that the Warsaw mayor has the final say on whether or not the celebration will take place.
It is worth mentioning that an attack with an explosive device, purportedly terrorist, against Russian journalists and their family members has been thwarted in Berlin, the Russian embassy said on Saturday.
