Germany to close four out of five Russian consulates, as well as its own in Russia
Russia - the prison of nations (Photo - EPA)

The German government is closing four out of five Russian consulates in the country, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

The move was in response to Moscow's decision to limit the number of German diplomats in Russia to 350, the spokesman said, adding that the recall should be completed by the end of the year.

German consulates in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk will also be closed. Only the German embassy in Moscow and the consulate in St. Petersburg will be open, the spokesman stressed.

On Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz again stated that Western weapons should not be used for strikes on the territory of Russia.

He also does not rule out resuming his contacts with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin "at the appropriate time", when the conditions for such a conversation will appear.