Germany Begins Expelling Diplomats: 70 Russian Diplomats Given Deadline to Leave, Russia Launches "De-Germanization" Retaliation
The diplomatic crisis between Russia and Germany continues to escalate—Germany has now begun expelling diplomats.
According to Russian sources, Germany has ordered all staff at the Russian Consulate General in Bonn to leave by September 18, after which the consulate will be officially closed.
Under diplomatic norms, closing a consulate general is an extremely serious diplomatic incident. According to the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, sovereign states have the right to limit the size of foreign consular missions, but the usual practice is to expel individual "unwelcome persons." To expel 70 people en masse and shut down the entire consulate is exceptionally rare.
This means that consular services for Russians in Germany have been largely suspended. Russian nationals in Germany must now rely solely on the embassy to handle consular matters, resulting in significantly reduced efficiency.
Naturally, Russia will not remain passive. Following Germany’s strong measures, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov promptly announced the closure of multiple Goethe Institutes within Russia.
The Goethe Institute is a significant symbol of reconciliation between Russia and Germany after the Cold War. Its branches are located in key cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, and it has long played a vital role in promoting civil exchanges between the two nations.
Thus, this round of diplomatic tensions has now spread into the cultural sphere. Even after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, Russia and Germany maintained each other’s cultural institutions as buffers for civilian relations. Now, both countries are simultaneously undertaking "de-Russification" and "de-Germanization," effectively severing civil cultural exchanges—its severity is self-evident.
The trigger for this crisis originated from a recent incident: a drone carrying explosives was discovered at an airport in Germany, which Berlin attributed to Russian forces. Despite repeated denials from Moscow, Germany insisted on escalating the situation.
Given this, Russia will not stand idly by. As Lavrov stated, “From the moment the Goethe Institutes are closed, Germany’s cultural presence in Russia is formally terminated.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875478198232072/
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