Russia to Shut German Cultural Centres as Berlin Expels Moscow Institutions
Russia will close German cultural centres nationwide after Berlin shut Russian facilities, escalating a diplomatic row amid Ukraine tensions.
Russia has announced it will close German cultural centres across the country, a retaliatory step that deepens the diplomatic rift between Moscow and European nations supporting Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the announcement on Thursday, framing it as a direct response to Germany's decision a day earlier to shut the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin. Berlin had cited an alleged attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport as the reason for its action.
The tit-for-tat measures reflect a broader pattern of escalating friction between Russia and the West. Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of running sabotage and disruption campaigns aimed at eroding public support for Ukraine and destabilising European governments — charges Russian authorities deny.
European nations increasingly describe their standoff with Moscow as a hybrid war, encompassing cyberattacks, disinformation, and conventional military pressure. Each side accuses the other of state terrorism.
The confrontation has become one of the most pressing foreign and defence policy challenges for the European Union. Britain's MI6 chief warned late last year that Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to harass NATO members using tactics that remain just below the threshold of open war.
Meanwhile, Denmark has issued its own warning about potential Russian sabotage targeting its defence industry, underscoring the breadth of European concerns over Moscow's activities.