Germany is considering closing the “Russian House” in Berlin
Kyiv • UNN
Berlin is examining the termination of the agreement governing the operation of the "Russian House" amid suspicions of espionage. A decision may be made next week.
The German government is considering various options for responding to Russian hybrid activity. These include the possible termination of the agreement that allows the "Russian House" to operate on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin. The Center for Strategic Communications reports this, as reported by UNN.
Details
Berlin is not currently publicly accusing Moscow of involvement in the drone incident in Leipzig. At the same time, according to the publication, German law enforcement authorities are increasingly leaning toward the theory of a Russian connection. In addition, German intelligence services have long suspected the "Russian House" of possible espionage activities
However, according to information from the agency, closing the center could have diplomatic consequences.
The same agreement governs the activities of German cultural institutions in Russia, including the Goethe-Institut in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Berlin, there are concerns that Moscow could respond by closing German cultural centers
It is currently expected that the German authorities may agree on the center's future operations as early as next week.
As a reminder
Video footage showed that an armed drone crashed into the wing of a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig Airport. The explosives did not detonate, but the reasons for this remain unclear.