(NewsNation) — Poland has expelled 45 Russian diplomats whom the government said are intelligence officers using their diplomatic status as cover to operate in the country.
On Wednesday, Poland’s Internal Security Agency asked the Foreign Ministry to urgently remove the Russians, who they described as a danger to Poland’s security.
“These are people who … operate using their diplomatic status, but in reality conduct intelligence activities against Poland,” said Stanislaw Zaryn, the state security spokesman.
Experts NewsNation spoke to say the move is largely symbolic, likely in response to the invasion of Ukraine and not an instance where undercover agents have been caught in the act of spying.
“When you see an expulsion, it’s not because suddenly someone has been discovered to be spying, it’s because there’s a decision taken at a political level to send a message that we are escalating our confrontation with you,” said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
The expulsion of Russian diplomats is just the latest act of solidarity from Ukraine’s neighbor to the west. Poland has also taken in more than 2 million refugees since the beginning of the Russian invasion, resulting in a 5% increase in the country’s total population.
“The Poles have shown remarkable generosity,” Kupchan noted.
Poland has also served as a staging ground for thousands of U.S. and NATO troops who have amassed there. Weapons and other vital supplies sent to Ukraine continue to flow through the country.
The 45 Russians are being given five days to leave the country, except for one particularly dangerous man who has to leave in 48 hours, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina said.
Russian Ambassador Sergei Andreev slammed the decision, telling reporters that the people being kicked out of Poland “were carrying out normal diplomatic and trade activity.”