US Condemns Russia’s Decision to Close Deutche Welle's Moscow Office - State Dept.

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - The United States condemns Russia’s decision to close the Moscow bureau of German media outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) in response to the termination of Russian RT DE broadcasts in Germany, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

“The US condemns the Russian government’s decision to shut down the Moscow office of Deutsche Welle. We stand in solidarity with Deutsche Welle and Germany in the face of Moscow’s crackdown on independent media, political opposition, and civil society,” Price said via Twitter on Friday.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Moscow would close the DW bureau, annul the accreditation of its employees and terminate DW satellite and other broadcasts in response to the RT DE ban in Germany.

However, the Foreign Ministry' told Sputnik that if Germany revisits its position on RT DE, Moscow will respond in kind.

Also on Friday, German Minister for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth said Russia and Germany should pursue dialogue and de-escalation in light of the controversy.