Russia will shut German cultural centres across the country following Berlin’s accusation that Moscow was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the move on Thursday, saying Goethe-Institut centres in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg would be closed.
Lavrov said Russia had no choice but to respond after Germany announced the closure of the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Lavrov said Germany “could not have failed to understand” that the closure of Russian House would “signify the end of their cultural presence in Russia.”
He added that any alternative response would demonstrate a lack of “self-respect” on Russia’s part.
The diplomatic fallout follows the discovery of a drone carrying explosives near a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4. The device was later defused.
Leipzig/Halle is a major international freight hub and has been used to provide support to Ukraine amid Russia’s war against the country.
Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting sabotage and disruption operations aimed at weakening European support for Ukraine and destabilising European countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected the allegations, arguing that Berlin is seeking to divert attention from its domestic problems and declining voter satisfaction. Putin said any evidence being presented “has been planted.”
The attempted drone attack also featured in discussions among European Union foreign ministers on Wednesday, as the bloc considered possible responses without resorting to military action.
“It is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism. The question is: what do we do about this,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters before chairing a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Ireland.
The ministers considered measures including sanctions, visa restrictions and the possible closure of Russian consulates.
The European Union has imposed nearly two dozen sanctions packages on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, targeting more than 3,000 officials, oligarchs and entities, including banks, energy companies and drone manufacturers.
Kallas said the EU was also preparing additional travel bans and asset freezes against another 1,600 people.
Germany maintained that it was “not at war” with Russia but had become a “daily target” of what it described as the Kremlin’s hybrid campaign.
German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul said Berlin had carefully prepared its response and warned that Moscow would have to face the consequences.
“We are not at war, but we are a daily target of the Kremlin’s hybrid campaign,” Wadephul said.
He added that Germany expected Moscow to engage constructively, saying Russia should “show that it is also ready for reasonable talks and negotiations, particularly regarding the situation in Ukraine.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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