Russia to Close German Cultural Centers in Retaliatory Move
Russia will close Goethe-Institut branches in three cities after Germany shut Russian cultural centers over a drone incident.
Russia has announced the closure of German cultural centers across the country, a direct response to Berlin's decision to expel Russian diplomatic and cultural institutions from Germany. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed the move on Thursday, stating that Goethe-Institut branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg would be shut down.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Lavrov said the closures were a matter of national self-respect. He argued that Germany's actions—closing the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in Berlin—left Moscow with no choice but to end Germany's cultural presence in Russia.
The escalation follows an incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August, where an explosive-laden drone was discovered near a Ukrainian aircraft. German authorities attributed the device to Russia, a claim Moscow denies. President Vladimir Putin dismissed the allegation as a distraction from Germany's internal problems, suggesting any evidence was planted.
Lavrov described the Russian House in Berlin as a long-standing symbol of post-war relations between the two countries. He noted that Germany's decision, made on what he called an unverified assumption, effectively ends its cultural outreach in Russia despite the ongoing tensions over Ukraine.