Moscow to respond proportionately to Germany’s treatment of Russian media

Russia will respond proportionately to any actions by the German authorities in relation to Russian media operating in Germany, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview to the broadcaster RT.

"If the German authorities proceed along the road of escalating the situation, they will see a proportionate response - an escalation of the situation. But if the German authorities prefer to ease tensions and search for some mutually acceptable solutions, they will see a proportionate response, too. We will reciprocate," Zakharova is quoted as saying on the RT’s Telegram channel.

Zakharova stressed that Moscow would do its utmost to get back to a normal dialogue and mutual respect.

On February 3, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that at the first stage of retaliatory measures following the ban on the RT DE’s broadcasting in Germany Moscow was closing the office of Deutsche Welle in Russia. Other retaliatory measures may include "cancellation of the accreditation of all staffers of Deutsche Welle in Russia and the beginning of a process of drawing up a list of representatives of Germany’s government and non-government agencies involved in restricting RT DE broadcasting and in other pressures on the Russian media operator," who will banned from entering Russia.