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Germany’s recalling ambassador to Russia another unfriendly step, diplomat says

According to Maria Zakharova, Berlin’s accusations of Moscow in the alleged ongoing cyberattacks were made in the "highly likely" style

MOSCOW, May 8. /TASS/. Germany’s decision to recall its ambassador to Russia for consultations is another unfriendly step of Berlin, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

"Germany's decision to recall its ambassador from Moscow is nothing but another unfriendly step aimed at stirring up anti-Russian sentiment in the country, which will lead to further deterioration of bilateral relations. All the responsibility lies with the German side," the diplomat pointed out.

According to her, Berlin’s accusations of Moscow in the alleged ongoing cyberattacks were made in the "highly likely" style. "As you know, no evidence has ever been presented," Zakharova stressed.

"Berlin regularly exploits the myth of malicious activities of the alleged Russian hackers in Germany, which is used as a pretext to escalate tensions in bilateral relations," the spokeswoman emphasized. She also recalled that before, there was a mechanism of interdepartmental consultations on cybersecurity between Russia and Germany, but Berlin refused to engage in this format.

The German Foreign Ministry earlier reported that its ambassador to Russia Alexander Lambsdorff was recalled for consultations following an alleged cyberattack by Russia against the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and a number of German enterprises. Last week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the German government believes Russia is behind the hacking. According to her, a cabinet investigation led by the foreign ministry found that "the APT 28 group is responsible for last year’s attack." The top German diplomat also threatened repercussions, but did not specify what those might be.

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Foreign policy Germany Maria Zakharova

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