Russia to close branches of Germany's Goethe-Institut
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the move in statements carried by Russian newswires. It comes after Germany said it would close the Russian House in Berlin.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that branches of Germany's Goethe-Institut will be closed in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. The decision follows Germany's response to a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which Germany claimed was caused by Russia. In retaliation, Germany closed a Russian cultural center in Berlin and a Russian consulate in Bonn.
President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence to blame Moscow for the incident, stating that the closure of the Goethe-Institut centers marks the end of their cultural presence in Russia. The first Goethe-Institut was established in Moscow in 1992, shortly after the Soviet Union's collapse. In 2018, Russia closed the British Council in response to a diplomatic dispute with the UK.
According to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, Russia plans to retaliate against Germany's closure of the consulate in Bonn "very soon." This news story is breaking and will be updated.
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