Assaults in Poland, Russia reignite old tensions

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An assault on the children of Russian diplomats in a Warsaw park last month has helped drop Polish-Russian relations to their lowest ebb since the Cold War and has raised new fears about the stability of Europe's sensitive east.

The July 31 beating -- and subsequent attacks on Polish diplomats and a senior Polish journalist in Moscow -- added to an escalating list of grievances between the countries, which have a history of animosity and bloodshed dating back centuries.

After a initial sharp exchange of words, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Polish counterpart Alexander Kwasniewski have tried to calm the situation in recent days.

Following a hot line telephone conversation Friday, the two leaders said the serial assaults, whatever the motivation, cannot be "viewed in isolation from the unfavorable mutual political atmosphere between the two countries."

Mr. Putin earlier had called the Warsaw attacks "an unfriendly act" and demanded an official apology, while Mr. Kwasniewski complained that "representatives of the Polish state and mass media accredited in Russia have become victims of organized attacks."

Polish authorities say the July 31 mugging of three teenage sons of Russian diplomats in Warsaw was a "criminal and not political act." Police have arrested two men suspected of robbing the youths.

Two Polish diplomats in Moscow, including embassy Second Secretary Marek Reszuta, were separately preyed upon by unknown attackers within the ensuing 10 days, with both incidents taking place near the gates of the embassy.

Over the weekend, a correspondent for the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita was beaten up in Moscow.

The motives for the attacks are not clear, but the dispute has deeper roots on both sides.

The Kremlin has accused the Polish government of tolerating what it described as a "wave of anti-Russian hysteria" in the run-up to Poland's Oct. 9 presidential vote.