Bangladesh, Feb. 7 -- In a move escalating tensions between Russia and Western nations, France has frozen the bank accounts of the Russian House cultural center in Paris, effectively blocking its operations. Russian Ambassador to France, Aleksey Meshkov, confirmed the development, stating that the decision is a serious breach of bilateral agreements between Moscow and Paris. The Russian House, which functions under Rossotrudnichestvo, a state-backed agency promoting Russian culture abroad, is now at risk of closure in France.

The French government has not yet provided a detailed justification for its action, but it is widely believed to be part of broader European measures aimed at curbing Russian influence following the escalation of th...