Germany asks Russia to close 4 consulates as tensions climb

BERLIN (AA): Germany asked Russia on Wednesday to close four of its consulates in the country as tensions continue to mount between the two countries.

At a news conference in Berlin, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger accused Russia of escalating tensions with its decision to limit the maximum number of staff at German diplomatic missions.

In a reciprocal move, Berlin informed Moscow of its request for the closure of four out of five Russian consulates in the country by the end of the year, Burger said.

As of 2024, Russia will only be allowed to operate its embassy in Berlin and one consulate, he added.

Russia currently has five consulates in the German cities of Bonn, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Frankfurt.

It decided last month to set an upper limit on the number of civil servants working at German diplomatic representations and cultural centers in the country.

The move requires more than a hundred German civil servants, including diplomats, experts, and teachers to leave the country.

Moscow’s decision came after Berlin asked more than 30 Russian diplomats to leave the country in April, accusing them of working undercover as intelligence agents.

Germany’s relations with Russia have been strained over the war in Ukraine. Berlin has accused Moscow of war crimes and responded by halting bilateral cooperation and imposing tough economic sanctions.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government pledged strong political and economic support to Kyiv, and has delivered weapons to Ukraine since the war broke out in February last year.