Russia to close NATO Information Office in Moscow

Russian authorities are considering an opportunity to close NATO Information Office in Moscow, but the final decision on this matter is still pending.

According to sources close to the presidential administration, "this is an impending retaliation measure as under the condition of the current reality, finding a common language with NATO seems very difficult."

The question was raised after on April 1, alliance foreign ministers decided to freeze both civil and military cooperation with Moscow, having virtually paralyzed the work of the Russia-NATO Council. Moreover, on April 8, the NATO leadership denied access to NATO headquarters in Brussels to all employees of the Russian Federation, except for the permanent representative, deputy head of the mission, and two of its representatives. The move made the probability to close the Moscow office even more likely.

"This is an absolutely absurd measure, showing how our NATO partners are unprepared for a real dialogue with Moscow," said a diplomatic source.

The current head of the Moscow office, Polish diplomat Robert Pszczel, declined to comment on the likelihood for the office to close.