In a surprising act, the Apostolic Nuncio in Poland presented a commemorative plate to Russian Ambassador Sergei Andreev as he concludes his diplomatic mission, a gesture that echoes the ambassador’s controversial propaganda and a recent airspace infringement.
Church Honors Controversial Diplomat
In July of this year, unofficial reports surfaced that Russian Ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreev, would be concluding his diplomatic mission in the coming weeks. Andreev has served as the Russian Federation’s ambassador in Poland since August 26, 2014, and has attracted controversy for repeating Kremlin propaganda about a “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Commemorative Plate Presented
On Tuesday, August 19, the Apostolic Nuncio issued a statement announcing that he had honored Andreev the day before. “On August 18, at the seat of the Apostolic Nunciature in Warsaw, the commemorative plate from the hand of Dean of the Diplomatic Corps His Excellency abpa Antonio Guido Filippazzi, Apostolic Nuncio in Poland, was received by His Excellency Sergei Andreev, Ambassador of Russia to Poland, who is concluding his diplomatic mission in Poland,” the communique read.
Diplomats and Media Remarks
“I don’t know much about this whole diplomatic protocol, but I would call on the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the apostolic nuncio and give him the ‘commemorative’ plate from Bucz or Irpin,” commented journalist Jakub Wiech. In March 2024, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had called on Andreev to explain an incident involving a Russian UAV that violated Polish airspace over Lublin Voivodeship. The ambassador did not appear at the ministry, and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said he would “speak for his culture and professionalism.” The ministry’s spokesperson, Paweł Wroński, later questioned whether the ambassador follows instructions from Moscow and can properly represent Russian interests in Warsaw. Andreev explained that he had not attended the ministry because “he deemed it pointless to discuss the matter without presenting evidence.”
Russian Ambassador Ignores Polish Foreign Ministry
In March 2024, the Polish Foreign Ministry called on Andreev to explain the airspace incident, but he did not attend, raising concerns about his representation of Russian interests in Warsaw.
Source: Gazeta,
