The UK, Italy, Germany, and other states urge Russia not to exploit the Moscow terror attack in its war against Ukraine
In the wake of the devastating terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall that claimed over 133 lives on Friday, world leaders are calling on Russia to exercise restraint and not use the tragedy as a pretext for escalating its war against Ukraine.
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack, in which gunmen went on a rampage and killed unarmed people during a concert at the Crocus City Hall.
Michael Roth, Chairman of the German Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that “our sympathy goes out to the many innocent victims in Moscow. Nevertheless, we must not forget that Russia itself is a terrorist state that terrorized the Ukrainian civilian population with rocket and drone attacks again last night. Whoever sows terror will reap terror.”
Other German officials have also warned against portraying Russia as a victim, which doesn’t contradict the expression of condolences to individual victims, as quoted by Der Spiegel.
Italian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking at an event in Potenza on Sunday, emphasized the need for calm and prudence in the aftermath of the attack.
“One must always be calm and prudent, even after the terrible terrorist attack in Moscow, and work to avoid an escalation,” Tajani said. “We must invite Russia not to exploit the attack.”
Evil empire revives in Putin’s regime and FSB methods of “fighting terrorism”
Despite Russia’s attempts to link Ukraine to the attack without providing substantial evidence, Kyiv has denied any involvement. President Vladimir Putin claimed on Saturday that four arrested gunmen were trying to escape to Ukraine, but the United States had warned several weeks ago of an imminent terror attack in Moscow, and IS has released a selfie of the men it claims were responsible, along with details of how they planned and executed the ambush.
“What happened yesterday in Moscow is clear that Putin and other scum are just trying to pin it on someone else,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “They always use the same methods. This has already happened before. There were bombed buildings, shootings, and explosions. And they always blame others.”
Britain has also warned Putin not to use the attack as an excuse to intensify the war on Ukraine. A senior security source told the Telegraph, “Putin’s desperation to put all of this on Ukraine is unsurprising, as he tries to further dupe the Russian people whilst pretending that there is no dissent within Russia. He must not use this confected connection as any sort of excuse for intensifying his illegal war in Ukraine.”
Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that Russian media channels are already circulating deep fake videos of Ukrainian officials in an attempt to blame Ukraine and provide Putin with a defense for the war crimes he’s committing in Ukraine or worse, a pretext for further atrocities.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk echoed these sentiments, expressing hope that “this terrible tragedy will not become a pretext for anyone to escalate violence and aggression.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry fears that the accusations aim to whip up anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russian society and create conditions for strengthening the mobilization of Russian citizens to participate in the unjustified war against Ukraine.
The United States has expressed condolences and strongly condemned the attack while confirming IS’ claim of responsibility, perhaps to serve as an early counter against Russian claims of Kyiv’s involvement.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt of Britain has accused Russia of using the attack to create a “smokescreen of propaganda” to help justify its invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing that Britain has “very little confidence” in Russian statements linking Ukraine to the attack.
As the international community mourns the lives lost in this senseless act of terror, world leaders are urging Russia to refrain from exploiting the tragedy for anti-Ukrainian propaganda aims. The focus must remain on bringing those responsible for the attack to justice and supporting the victims and their families.
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