Germany will close four of the five existing Russian consulates in its territory, in response to the restrictions imposed by Moscow on its own representation in Russia, one more consequence of the tension between the two countries derived from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This German move follows the Russian decision to limit the German diplomatic and cultural presence in the country, expelling civil servants and professors. The maximum number of employed Germans allowed to stay in Russia set by Moscow is now 350 people.
“In order to guarantee a balance of mutual presence both at the level of personnel and structures, we have decided to withdraw the authorization to operate four of the five Russian consulates general in Germany; this has been communicated today to the Russian Foreign Ministry,†Christofer Burger, a German foreign ministry spokesman, said at a routine news conference in Berlin on Wednesday.
The closure should take place at the latest by the end of this year, leaving Russia with only the embassy in Berlin and a consulate general. At the same time, Germany has decided to close three of its own consulates in Russia in November: Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. The German representation will be reduced to the embassy in Moscow and the consulate in Saint Petersburg.
Burger spokesman said the move is intended to create “parity of personnel and structures” between the two countries. “It is the behavior of the Russian side that has led us to this situation,†he said, adding that the Russian war in Ukraine means there is “simply no basis anymore†for many bilateral activities between Germany and Russia.
