Today, the Russian Foreign Ministry informed the German Ambassador in Moscow that two members of staff at the German Embassy in Moscow would be declared personae non gratae.

According to the Russian side, this is a reciprocal measure in response to the declaration of two members of the Russian Embassy in Berlin as personae non gratae on 15 December.
This step comes as no surprise; it is, however, in the Federal Government's view, entirely unjustified.

Last week’s decision by the Federal Government was an appropriate response to the finding by the Higher Regional Court in Berlin that the so-called Tiergarten murder was committed on behalf of Russian state agencies. This is a serious violation of the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Federal Government strives to engage with the Russian Federation on the basis of international law and mutual respect. Today’s decision by the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation places a renewed strain on our relations.