Germany closes St. Petersburg consulate as Berlin-Moscow diplomatic retaliation escalates

Germany has closed its consulate general in St. Petersburg, removing national symbols from the building, in a further step of tit-for-tat diplomatic retaliation between Berlin and Moscow. The closure follows a pattern of reciprocal expulsions and consulate shutdowns since 2023, but marks a concrete escalation in the bilateral standoff. The move signals continued deterioration in German-Russian relations with no near-term prospect of normalization.