The European Union has issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him not to exploit the recent Moscow terror attack as a pretext to escalate the war in Ukraine or to increase domestic repression. This plea follows a violent incident at a Moscow concert venue which resulted in at least 137 fatalities and more than 180 injuries.
European officials are deeply concerned by Russian claims suggesting Kyiv’s involvement in the attack, with the European Commission spokesperson for foreign policy, Peter Stano, stating, “We reject this. There is no indication, no evidence, that Ukraine was linked to this attack.” He further implored, “We call on the Russian authorities not to use the terrorist attack in Moscow as a pretext or a motivation to increase the illegal aggression against Ukraine, or to use it as a pretext for increasing internal repression against critics of the Russian regime.”
Russia’s accusations have sent ripples of anxiety through Europe, with the Kremlin yet to acknowledge the claim of responsibility by an Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) group. The U.S. has corroborated the IS claim, heightening the discrepancy between the narratives of Russia and Western intelligence.
In the aftermath of the attack, Putin made televised assertions, attempting to establish a connection between Ukraine and the attacks, alleging that the assailants had tried to escape towards the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside his advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, dismissed these accusations as “absolutely untenable and absurd,” suggesting that Putin had deliberately delayed his response to fabricate a link to Ukraine.
The tragedy not only casts a shadow on Putin’s image as a secure leader following a contested presidential election victory but also raises the possibility of Russia being more susceptible to terror due to its international isolation post-invasion of Ukraine. Stano remarked that EU cooperation with Russia against terrorism, suspended since the invasion, could potentially resume upon a “credible” proposal from Russia. However, he added, “But at this stage, we are dealing with a (…) regime that is dragging the country, meaning Russia, into an illegal war (and) oppressing its domestic population with a number of measures. So it’s very difficult to imagine what would be the basis of cooperation.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin’s reluctance to acknowledge ISIS and discuss the provided U.S. intelligence, which predicted the attack, and the apparent security lapses, align with its focus on Ukraine and domestic suppression of dissent.
Relevant articles:
– EU to Putin: Don’t use Moscow attack as pretext to intensify war on Ukraine
– Vladimir Putin blames Islamists for Moscow attack while implicating Ukraine, Financial Times, Mon, 25 Mar 2024 22:06:50 GMT
– The West fears Putin will use Moscow attack to increase domestic repression and aggression in Ukraine, EL PAÍS USA, Sun, 24 Mar 2024 11:42:39 GMT
– K’s attack in Moscow risks escalating the Russia, The Conversation Indonesia, Sun, 24 Mar 2024 12:06:44 GMT