The German Federal Government stated that it sees no need to implement its own measures in response to the announced closure of the Goethe-Institut’s Russian locations. According to a spokesperson for the Foreign Office spoke to dts Nachrichtenagentur on Friday, there is “no further need for a reaction.” The spokesperson added that he would not speculate on the fate of the institute’s employees at this time.
The decision stems from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who recently announced the closure of the Goethe-Institut branches located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. Lavrov clarified that this closure was a reaction to the announced shutting down of the “Russian House” in Berlin. The underlying issue is the discovery of an explosive drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport, for which the Federal Government had attributed responsibility to Moscow.
