May 27, 2023 1:06 PM BST
Updated 1 hour ago
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Russian-German relations have deteriorated since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began
Hundreds of Germans working in the education and cultural sectors will be expelled from Russia next month, the German foreign ministry said.
It confirmed media reports that Russia had decided to limit the number of German workers from the beginning of June.
These include teachers from the German School in Moscow and employees of the cultural association of the Goethe Institute.
The move follows repeated expulsions of diplomats and increasingly strained relations between Russia and Germany.
Last month, Russia and Germany each declared 40 staffers at their respective embassies personae non gratae — or unwelcome — and expelled them.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the latest move will affect a “low to mid-three-digit number” of staff, including diplomats.
“In view of this unilateral, unjustified and incomprehensible decision, the federal government is now concerned with ensuring a minimum presence of mediators in Russia and at the same time maintaining a diplomatic presence,” the newspaper quoted the Federal Foreign Office as saying.
When deciding on the maximum number of Russians in Germany, the ministry wants to aim for an actual balance in practice.
Several EU countries have expelled Russian diplomats since the start of the war in Ukraine. In March 2022, four EU countries issued expulsion orders against more than 40 diplomats suspected of espionage.
Russia and Germany maintained close economic and cultural ties, which became strained in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Scholz kept his promise. When Germany announced in January that it would send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Russia accused the country of abandoning its “historical responsibilities to Russia” over Nazi crimes in World War II.
Undeterred, Mr Scholz vowed earlier in the month to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and pledged 2.7 billion euros (£2.4 billion) in arms.
Germany has also been working hard to end its dependence on Russian gas, thanks to a frenzy of buying from other countries and the construction of its first-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in record time.
With the expulsion of diplomats and cultural and educational workers, the remaining relations between Russia and Germany are likely to be even more strained.