Germany should expel all Russian diplomats – senior MP
A senior German lawmaker has called on Berlin to effectively cut diplomatic ties with Moscow to combat the “hybrid” threats he claims come from Russia.
“We should expel any remaining… diplomats,” Roderich Kiesewetter, known for his hardline anti-Russian stance, told Handelsblatt on Tuesday. He argued that doing so would help reduce Russian influence in Germany.
According to Kiesewetter, Germany is currently “inadequately protected against cyberattacks,” which he claims “primarily” originate from Russia. He specifically accused Moscow of attempting to “change public opinion in Germany” through these actions. He also accused China, North Korea, and Iran of launching “hacking attacks.”
The list of countermeasures suggested by the MP includes establishing a special government agency to refute disinformation or combat it “through hybrid activities,” banning Russian tourists and journalists from entering Germany, shutting down “propaganda portals,” and deleting any social media accounts deemed suspicious by the authorities.
The lawmaker also called for the closure of the Russian House – a center in Berlin run by the Russian government agency Rossotrudnichestvo that holds cultural events and offers language courses – labeling it a network of Russian “influence.”
Moscow has warned that the expulsion of diplomats would be met with a tit-for-tat response. “Berlin must have been missing the German diplomats,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Lenta.ru.
Rossotrudnichestvo blasted Kiesewetter’s words as “absurd.” They “have nothing to do with reality,” the agency’s spokesman said, adding that the MP “knows nothing about the activities of the Russian House in Berlin and has never been there.”
The head of the Russian House told TASS that this rhetoric “does not foster international dialogue” and only “strengthens the atmosphere of distrust, incites hatred and animosity.”
Last year, Kiesewetter caused a stir in Germany by stating that Berlin should “take the war to Russia” and “do everything possible to enable Ukraine to destroy… ministries, command posts” on Russian territory. He is also an active supporter of supplying Kiev with Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500km and could reach Moscow.
The interview comes as Berlin has taken an even more hardline position on Russia under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Since taking office, Merz has lifted range restrictions on Ukrainian strikes with German-supplied missiles and hinted at the possibility of sending Taurus missiles to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said in response that Berlin’s “direct involvement in the war is now obvious.”
