Poland has warned that any attack on its diplomatic missions by Russia would be treated as a deliberate and intentional act that could trigger NATO’s Article 5, as tensions between Moscow and the Western alliance continue to intensify over the war in Ukraine.
The Polish foreign ministry said such strikes would constitute “unfriendly acts” and carry serious legal and international consequences, urging Russia to halt what it described as its “unjustified and illegal aggression”.
“Since Russia claims it is not waging a war but a so-called ‘special military operation’, which by definition should be limited to military targets, any attacks on other infrastructure, including diplomatic missions, must be regarded as unfriendly acts,” the ministry said.
“Therefore, any attack on Polish diplomatic missions will be regarded as deliberate and intentional.”
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The statement added that strikes on diplomatic and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine represent a breach of international law and further undermine Russia’s standing as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The warning comes amid renewed signals from Moscow that it intends to intensify strikes on Ukraine’s defence industry and what it calls “decision-making centres” in Kyiv, while also advising foreign nationals and diplomatic staff to leave the capital.
Ukraine rejected the warnings as an attempt at intimidation. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russian threats were designed to pressure Western diplomats but were unlikely to succeed.
The European Union’s ambassador to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, said diplomatic staff would remain in Kyiv despite the threats, insisting: “We stay in Kyiv. We stay with Ukraine.”
European Union officials have also confirmed continued diplomatic presence in Ukraine, rejecting suggestions of evacuation.
The escalation follows a series of Russian statements indicating an expanded strike campaign across Ukraine, which Moscow says is in response to Ukrainian attacks on occupied territory.
Western governments have repeatedly accused Russia of attempting to intimidate foreign diplomats and destabilise international support for Ukraine — allegations Moscow denies.
The warning from Warsaw comes against a backdrop of heightened NATO security concerns along the alliance’s eastern flank, with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all reporting increased military and hybrid pressure since the start of the war.
In Washington, US president Donald Trump recently announced plans to redeploy 5,000 American troops to Poland, a move seen by allies as a reassurance amid Russian-Belarusian military activity near NATO borders.
The Pentagon had previously paused elements of the deployment, but later reversed the decision as part of wider adjustments to US force posture in Europe.
Poland said it welcomed measures that strengthen regional deterrence, as concerns grow that the security situation in Eastern Europe remains volatile and unpredictable.
The latest exchange underscores the continued escalation in rhetoric between Russia and NATO states, with diplomatic warnings increasingly overlapping with military signalling across the region.
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