The Russian Foreign Ministry presents this closure as a “first stage”, in retaliation for the banning of the Russian channel RT in Germany. The German public channel denounces a decision “absurd”.
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Eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The Russian Foreign Ministry ordered the closure of the local office of German public radio and television Deutsche Welle on Thursday (February 3rd). This closure comes less than 24 hours after a similar initiative by Germany against the German version of the Russian channel RT.
In addition to the closure of the chain’s local office and the withdrawal of the accreditation of its employees, the Russian Ministry has announced a procedure to have Deutsche Welle recognized as “foreign agent”. This controversial qualifier has already been applied to several Russian media critical of the government.
Moscow would also provide for sanctions against “representatives of German state and public structures involved in the restriction of the broadcast of RT”. A “first stage”, adds the Kremlin, which promises an additional response “in proper time”.
Berlin ruled this ban “unacceptable”. In a press release, the president of the German channel denounced a closure “absurd” and “incomprehensible”. “Even if we finally have to close”, the channel promises to “significantly strengthen coverage” of the country, where it has held licenses to broadcast in German and English since 2005.
This measure against a major Western media in Russia is a first since the fall of the USSR. It comes in a context of heightened tensions between NATO countries and Russia, accused of massing troops for several weeks for an invasion of Ukraine.