Alexander King, co-chair of the Berlin branch of the German political party Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), said the German government is preparing the country for a long-term conflict with Russia. He made the comments at a demonstration against the closure of the Russian House cultural center in Berlin, according to Russia's state news agency TASS.
King argued that the Russian House in Berlin should remain open so that accessible channels for dialogue exist during what he described as a difficult time of war and crisis.
King said that whoever acts as the German government does, and whoever supports it, is not preparing the country for peace. He said such actions are preparing Germany for a long-term conflict with Russia and for what Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called permanent hostility, and possibly even war.
Background to the dispute
BSW, whose name translates as the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, is a German political party founded by former Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht. The party has taken positions critical of German military support for Ukraine and has called for renewed dialogue with Moscow.
The Russian House in Berlin has served as a cultural institution linked to Russia, and its future became a flashpoint after the German government moved against it.
German government's recent measures
On September 1, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced that Germany had decided to terminate the agreement governing the operation of the Russian House in Berlin and to close Russia's general consulate in Bonn by September 18.
Russia's ambassador to Berlin, Sergei Nechayev, said separately that the main areas of cooperation between Russia and Germany, including political contacts, have effectively been frozen.
What comes next
The German government has not set out further steps beyond the closure of the Russian House and the consulate in Bonn by September 18. The broader diplomatic relationship between Berlin and Moscow remains strained, according to statements from both the German foreign ministry and the Russian ambassador.
