BRUSSELS: The European Union and several member states have summoned Russian diplomatic officials over an attempted drone attack near Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany last month, escalating diplomatic tensions between Moscow and European capitals.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Wednesday that the bloc’s diplomatic service had summoned Russia’s ambassador in Brussels over the incident.
Germany said on Tuesday that its investigation had concluded Russia was responsible for the drone incident. Berlin subsequently announced measures including the closure of a Russian consulate and a Russian cultural centre in the German capital.
Russia has rejected the allegations, saying Germany has provided no evidence to substantiate its claims. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond to what she described as Berlin’s “anti-Russian action.”
Which EU countries have summoned Russian diplomats?
France, the Netherlands and Belgium have separately summoned Russian diplomatic representatives to protest the incident.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he had summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Paris and called for European-level sanctions, particularly against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen described the Leipzig incident as unacceptable and said Russia’s ambassador had been summoned in the Netherlands.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot also said he had summoned Russia’s ambassador, linking the incident to what he described as a broader series of incursions affecting EU and NATO countries.
Russia’s ambassador to Germany was summoned by Berlin on Tuesday following the German government’s announcement.
How has Moscow responded to the accusations?
Moscow has denied responsibility for the Leipzig incident. The Russian Embassy in Berlin previously dismissed the allegations as a “fabricated provocation” and accused Germany of fuelling what it called anti-Russian hysteria.
Zakharova said Russia would respond to Germany’s measures but did not provide details of the potential response.
The diplomatic dispute follows heightened tensions between Russia and European countries over alleged security incidents and incursions, with EU officials now considering whether further collective measures should be taken.