Russia summoned the German Ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, on Monday. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the reason for the summons was the alleged support of a German Member of Parliament for a Chechen “terror organization”. The German government, however, quickly dismissed these claims as “groundless”.
The central accusation appears to revolve around CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter. He was reportedly accused of having recently met in Kyiv with the leader of the in-Russia-banned group, the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, and thereby endorsing their “anti-Russian activities”.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry characterized this alleged meeting as proof that German authorities intended to interfere in Russia’s domestic affairs and pose a threat to its national security.
This is not the first time the German diplomat has faced similar accusations. Lambsdorff had already been summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry in June regarding an alleged “persecution” of Russian journalists within Germany. At that time, the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin definitively rejected the accusations.
