Russia will close multiple branches of Germany’s Goethe Institute in response to Germany ordering the closure of a Russian cultural center in Berlin, Moscow said Thursday, amid spiraling tensions between the two countries.
The Goethe Institute, funded by Germany’s foreign office, is a nonprofit organization that promotes the study of the German language.
The announcement comes after Germany imposed sanctions on Moscow this week -- including the closure of a cultural center in Berlin -- accusing it of an attempted “hybrid attack” on Leipzig airport last month.
Russia has described Germany’s allegations as unsubstantiated and “absurd.”
“The Germans have branches of the Goethe Institute here... Of course, they’ll be closed once our cultural center has been forced out over there,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, according to the state Tass news agency.
He said the group’s branches in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg would be closed, although the Goethe Institute does not list a branch in Yekaterinburg on its website.
Germany said it regretted Russia’s decision.
“The Goethe Institute... has played an important role in Russia as a cultural bridge, and we would have been prepared to continue that,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters.
Tensions between the two countries have soared since Berlin accused Moscow of being behind a drone incident at Leipzig airport last month.
Russia summoned Germany’s charge d’affaires on Wednesday over what it called Berlin’s “anti-Russian actions” in response to the incident.