Russia-Germany tensions escalate as Moscow closes Goethe-Institut centers

Russia and Germany relations hit a rock bottom after Moscow announced on Thursday to close German cultural centers across the country.

According to Foreign Minister Sergry Lavrov, Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural centers would shut down in Russian cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg on the grounds of escalating tensions.

Lavrov further added that “any other response would show a lack of self-respect on Russia’s part.

“Of course they will be closed after our cultural center was expelled from there [from Berlin]," Lavrov said, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

"They deliberately took this step, they could not have failed to understand — which means the end of their cultural presence in Russia," Lavrov said, as cited by state news agency TASS.

The Kremlin also slammed Germany for demonstrating “an inconsistent and absurd position” by choosing to close the Russian consulate in Bonn. 

The remarks come after Berlin accused Russia of plotting a drone attack at Leipzig Airport last month using military-grade material and known hybrid-warfare components, while announcing the closure of both the Russian Consulate in Bonn and Russian House cultural center in the German capital.

The airport is a major international freight hub used for providing support to Ukraine.

Russia also threatened to take further stringent measures including the closure of Germany’s consulate general in St. Petersburg.

Suspected acts of sabotage have spiked across Europe, including recent attacks on electricity substations in Germany and factory fires/arson in Poland.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned Russia's "recklessness" and promised a robust collective response.

EU foreign ministers are discussing tighter enforcement of existing sanctions, a bloc-wide visa entry ban on Russian ex-combatants, stricter tourist visa limits, and targeted actions against Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.

However, Russia has denied all accusations, calling it a campaign run by Western officials to smear the country and distract the attention of German voters from its own failings as cited by Putin. 

​On ​Tuesday, ⁠President Vladimir Putin accused Germany ​of planting evidence ​in ⁠order to blame Moscow for the ⁠incident.