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🇱🇹 Lithuania /Conflict & Security

Germany’s accusation against Russia leaves Lithuania searching for answers

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Ongoing story
  • Germany blamed Russia for an incident at Leipzig airport and announced measures including closing its Russian consulate in Bonn and ending an agreement on the Russian House in Berlin.
  • Lithuanian officials and a former foreign minister said Russia's role in hybrid attacks must be recognized despite the difficulty of making evidence public.
  • The discussion followed reports of a suspected attack on an electrical substation and an explosion at a railway station in Germany that injured two people.

Germany has moved from cautious language to direct accusation. After investigating last month's incident at Leipzig airport, Berlin blamed Russia and announced diplomatic countermeasures, including the closure of Russia's consulate in Bonn and the termination of an agreement covering the Russian House in Berlin.

We are not at war, but every day we are targets of hybrid warfare.

· Alexander DobrindtGermany's interior minister described the security environment after the Leipzig airport incident.

The European Union expressed full solidarity with Germany, while NATO said it would defend its members. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the wider situation bluntly: “We are not at war, but every day we are targets of hybrid warfare.”

New incidents appeared in Germany at almost the same time. Police began investigating a possible deliberate attack on an electrical substation, while an unknown object exploded at a railway station and injured two people. Lithuanian politician Remigijus Motuzas said Western governments had previously been too hesitant to identify Russia's role in similar cases involving drones or attacks in Romania, Latvia and Estonia.

We have to acknowledge that these are Russian attacks.

· Remigijus MotuzasThe Lithuanian politician argued that Western countries should identify Russia's role more directly.

“We have to acknowledge that these are Russian attacks,” Motuzas said during a radio discussion. He argued that Germany had adopted a much firmer tone, with its foreign and defense ministers and the chancellor making clear that the country would not be intimidated. He also stressed that Berlin had followed its accusation with immediate measures.

We felt this time that not only Germany's foreign and defense ministers, but also the chancellor, said very boldly that they would not intimidate us and that we were not afraid.

· Remigijus MotuzasHe described Germany's stronger public response to the alleged Russian hybrid attack.

Former Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis said Germany appeared to have acted after assessing information gathered during a month-long investigation. He noted that Russia typically demands proof, but said public attribution is especially difficult in hybrid warfare. Valionis also described the Russian House in Berlin as more than a cultural center, saying its size and influence made it another channel for Russian cultural influence. The discussion focused on whether Germany's response is sufficient and what Lithuania should do as the perceived hybrid-war threat grows.

There will never be evidence.

· Antanas ValionisThe former foreign minister discussed the difficulty of publicly proving responsibility for hybrid attacks.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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