Berlin shows no wish to change current situation in relations with Russia — ambassador

BERLIN, August 28. /TASS/. German authorities have yet to demonstrate any willingness to change the current state of relations with Russia, while anti-Russian rhetoric in the country continues unabated, Russian ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev said in an interview with the newspaper Unsere Zeit .

"Unfortunately, we do not yet see any willingness on the German side to change the current situation," Nechayev said. In his view, the opposite is true. "Anti-Russian rhetoric continues unabated in Germany, accompanied by unsubstantiated and often absurd accusations against our country over virtually any incident, whether it involves alleged cyberattacks, espionage, or sabotage," he said. Nechayev cited the discovery of an unidentified drone at Leipzig Airport as an example.

"There is no doubt that this was yet another provocation carried out in the interests of the Kiev regime, European political elites, and the military-industrial lobby," Nechayev said. "All of them are counting on further escalation of the Ukrainian conflict, the weakening of Russia, and the continued unlimited appropriation of budget funds."

"Even during the Cold War and the ideological confrontation between East and West, Germany did not witness such rampant anti-Russian sentiment. This is regrettable," the ambassador continued.

He also pointed to what he described as an unprecedented anti-Russian campaign in three eastern German states ahead of elections scheduled for September. According to Nechayev, the campaign has also affected the activities of the Russian House, with calls for greater pressure on its employees, a ban on its operations, the expropriation of Russian-owned property, and the termination of bilateral intergovernmental agreements governing its status.

At the same time, Nechayev said it was encouraging that a significant portion of the German population, particularly in eastern Germany, remained resistant to what he characterized as "massive anti-Russian propaganda." He said many Germans continued to view Russia positively and were prepared to restore Russian-German ties, from whose rapid development, he said, Germany had benefited considerably.

The ambassador also recalled that military memorial work remains one of the few areas in which close practical cooperation between Russia and Germany continues. He noted that the German side was conscientiously fulfilling its obligations to preserve and maintain Soviet military graves.