Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the closure of Goethe-Institute branches on Russian territory, according to statements carried by Russian newswires. The move comes in response to Germany's decision to close the Russian House in Berlin and a Russian consulate in Bonn.

Lavrov stated that Goethe-Institute offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg would be shut down. He emphasized that Germany deliberately took this step, which he claims marks the end of their cultural presence in Russia.

The escalation follows Germany's accusation that Russia was responsible for a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Germany of planting evidence to blame Moscow for the incident, alleging that the German regime fabricated the allegations.

Lavrov noted that the Goethe-Institutes had remained open "despite all the Ukrainian complications in our relations with the West." The first Goethe-Institute in Russia opened in Moscow in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow would retaliate "very soon" over Germany's closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn. This diplomatic spat underscores the deteriorating relations between Russia and the German regime, with both sides engaging in reciprocal measures that affect cultural and diplomatic ties.

Source: www.dw.com