German Government Closes Russian House Berlin Amid Drone Incident; Expert Questions Blame

Following a suspected drone attack on a target in Leipzig, the German federal government has attributed responsibility to Russia and announced the closure of the Russian House in Berlin and the Russian Consulate General in Bonn. The incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions, as a rare visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow failed to persuade Putin to change course, and Russia subsequently intensified attacks on civilian infrastructure. Putin told Russian journalists, "I have no doubt that the enemy will collapse." Meanwhile, US mediators Witkoff and Kushner are reportedly expected to travel to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend for talks. August Pradetto, a political scientist specializing in foreign policy, considers the government's swift attribution of blame to be premature, suggesting that other actors, including forces in the vicinity of Donald Trump, could be capable of such actions. The interview with Pradetto was conducted by Simon Zeise and published in der Freitag.