Russia on Wednesday criticized Germany’s decision to close four of the five Russian consulates on its territory, calling it a “provocation” and promising Moscow would respond.
“Berlin should have no doubt that such ill-considered provocative actions will not proceed without our honest response,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Russian ministry viewed it as “another hostile measure aimed at further destroying Russian-German relations”, accusing the Russian ministry of Berlin of being responsible for the “ongoing escalation”, by “en mass expelling” Russian diplomats under absurd pretenses, reducing the workforce. of diplomatic missions and delaying the issuance of visas.
Germany today announced the decision to close four of the five Russian consulates on its territory in retaliation for restrictions imposed by Moscow on its own diplomatic representation in Russia.
Only the fifth consulate and the Russian embassy in Berlin can remain open.
The Russian authorities had announced the drastic reduction, starting in June, of the number of people Germany can send to Russia or employ at its embassy or in institutions operating in the country, particularly in the fields of culture and education.
Several hundred people are affected by this measure: employees of the embassy and consulates, but especially employees of the Goethe Cultural Institute on Russian territory, the German school and kindergartens and also teachers who work in Russian schools.
“The Russian government has thus taken a step towards an escalation, and this unjustified decision obliges the government to [alemão] to implement major cutbacks in all areas of its presence in Russia,” the German Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a regular press conference.
Germany also decided in November to close three of its own consulates in Russia: those in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.
In April, Moscow had already announced the expulsion of about 20 German diplomats, in retaliation for a similar measure taken by Berlin.
These decisions come at a time when German-Russian bilateral relations, once close, are at their lowest ebb.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February forced Germany to make a painful and dramatic diplomatic and economic turnaround after decades of betting on a rapprochement with Russia in these two areas.
Before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Russia was Germany’s main supplier of gas and one of the largest suppliers of oil.
Germany ended these imports and became one of Kiev’s main suppliers of arms, as well as one of its largest financiers.
Source: DN
