Moscow speaks of an "unfriendly step": Because four out of five consulates in Germany have to close, the Russian Foreign Ministry is now threatening to take countermeasures. Germany's decision to reduce Russia's consular presence is seen as "another unfriendly step" aimed at destroying relations between the two countries.
Berlin is losing its bearings "in the heat of a hostile policy" and bears full responsibility for the deterioration of relations. The German government has decided to close the German consulates general in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.