Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechaev Criticizes Germany's Diplomatic Closures

Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechaev, criticized the closure of its Bonn consulate and Russian House in Berlin in an Oct. 9 interview with RIA Novosti. Germany took those measures in September.

Asked about the possibility of a complete break in diplomatic relations, Nechaev said Russia's opponents no longer had political, diplomatic or moral restraints. He declined to speculate about further German action and said he hoped reason would prevail.

Nechaev linked the September decisions to allegations concerning a drone found at Leipzig/Halle airport. He called the accusations absurd and described the drone as defective. Germany, for its part, blamed Russia for an alleged attempted drone attack. The two governments have presented opposing accounts of the incident.

The ambassador said Germany had closed all five Russian consulates general over the past several years and expelled hundreds of Russian diplomatic staff and their family members. The September measures also affected the agreement governing the activities of Russian House in Berlin.

Russia's Foreign Ministry responded by announcing the closure of Goethe-Institut cultural centers and Germany's consulate general in St. Petersburg. Nechaev's latest remarks assess measures already taken. He did not announce a decision to sever diplomatic relations completely.