Culture or Kremlin influence? Europe divided over its Russian Houses

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

55% : Its own map lists 15 in the European Union, including centres in Paris, Rome, Brussels and Budapest.
50% : The EU sanctioned Rossotrudnichestvo and froze its assets in July 2022, describing it as "the main state agency projecting the Kremlin's soft power and hybrid influence".
45% : Meanwhile, a similar centre remains open in Paris despite EU sanctions against the Russian state agency that runs it.
44% : EU summons Russian envoy, eyes sanctions after Germany drone 'attack' Espionage suspicions More misgivings emerged in early August, when German outlets WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on a French Interior Ministry document stating that the Berlin Russian House was "used as a cover by Russian intelligence services".
43% : Four charged in Paris over suspected Russia-linked spy network Sanctions and closures Questions remain over how the centres keep functioning while Rossotrudnichestvo is subject to an EU asset freeze.
32% : The decision was a "new step aimed at depriving Romanian citizens of access to an alternative point of view that exposes the aggressive absurdity of NATO and EU propaganda", Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at the time.

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