President Vladimir Putin has ordered the shutdown of all Goethe-Institut centres across Russia in retaliation for Germany’s closure of a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.
“They (Germany) deliberately took this step—they could not have failed to understand—which means the end of their cultural presence in Russia,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, according to state newswire TASS.
He added that Russia kept the Goethe-Institut open “despite all the Ukrainian complications in our relations with the West”.
Germany on Tuesday accused Russia of masterminding an attempted “hybrid attack” on its Leipzig/Halle Airport last month.
In response, Germany ordered the closure of a Russian cultural centre in Berlin and its consulate in Bonn.
Moscow denied the claim.
Mr Putin accused Berlin of planting the evidence to blame Russia.
Germany said Goethe-Institut’s closure was unjustifiable, adding that Germany only responded to the attempted hybrid attack on its Leipzig Airport.
“The Goethe-Institut… has played an important role in Russia as a cultural bridge, and we would have been prepared to continue that,” said German foreign minister Johann Wadephul.