The Russian government will proceed with the closure of branches of the Goethe Institute, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced.
He explained that this is in retaliation for the planned closure of the House of Russia in Berlin, according to the Interfax news agency.
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The German government announced the measure after an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying explosives was detected at Leipzig Airport. Berlin accused Moscow of planning to carry out an attack.
The Goethe-Institut has its main branch in Moscow and cultural centers in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
“Of course they will close, once our cultural center is expelled from there” (i.e., Berlin), said Sergey Lavrov, who made the remarks on the sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok. The German government acted knowing that the move would mean the end of its own cultural presence in Russia, he added.
Despite the ongoing escalation of tensions with the West due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022, the institute continued to operate, the minister said. The Goethe-Institut was one of the last German institutions still present in the Russian Federation.
Moscow has declared numerous foreign institutions and organizations “undesirable” entities, effectively banning their operations within its territory.
Yesterday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the German chargé d’affaires at the embassy in Moscow and handed him a note of protest regarding the “anti-Russian” statements and measures following the detection of the drone at the Leipzig-Halle Airport.
The Russian side rejected what it characterized as baseless accusations regarding the incident in Leipzig, according to a statement released after the meeting. It referred to a “provocation” by Friedrich Merz’s government aimed at undermining bilateral relations and warned that there would be a stern response.
In addition to the closure of the Goethe Institute’s branches, the closure of the German consulate in St. Petersburg is also under consideration. The two countries have already closed each other’s consulates as part of a series of European sanctions and retaliatory measures.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul blamed Russia for the incident in Leipzig in early August and announced punitiveMr. Wandeful announced that, among other things, the German consulate in Bonn would be closed.
