Germany Considers Closing Russia House
According to a report by Welt am Sonntag, Germany's Foreign Ministry stated that the German government is reviewing the legal legitimacy of the operation of "Russia House" in Berlin. The department said that, given Russia's actions against German cultural exchange institutions, authorities are conducting a comprehensive review of the international legal basis for the institution's operations.
"Russia House" operates under an agreement signed between the two countries in 2011. If Germany issues notice to Moscow by December 6, it could terminate the agreement as early as June 2027. The institution is managed by the Russian Federal Agency for Compatriots Abroad, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Affairs, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, which falls under the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the organization was placed on the EU sanctions list. Since then, all financial transactions at "Russia House" have been conducted under supervision by the German Federal Bank, and the institution does not enjoy diplomatic immunity.
Following revelations from a French Interior Ministry document indicating that Russian intelligence agencies use such cultural institutions as cover, calls within Germany to shut down "Russia House" have grown louder. Green Party federal parliamentarian Robin Wagner believes the allegations are credible, calling the cultural center a "tool of information warfare." "We clearly understand that this institution’s activities go beyond offering harmless language courses." Meanwhile, Steffen Krach, a Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for mayor of Berlin, has called for reclaiming the building.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873734207100040/
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