Putin discusses response to terror attack with Lukashenko amid absence from public eye

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has not appeared in public since Friday evening, when a terrorist attack occurred near Moscow, but he managed to speak with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

Source: Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza; Lukashenko-aligned Telegram channel Pul Pervogo; The Insider

Details: The Insider reports that Russian state channels prepared three times during the night to broadcast Putin's address regarding the terrorist attack. 

Overnight, the anticipation of his address was also published by Kremlin-aligned media RIA Novosti, but they called it a "mistake." 

In the morning, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that counterparts "confirmed readiness to cooperate in combating terrorism." 

Lukashenko's press office stated that he expressed "deep condolences regarding the terrorist attack near Moscow." 

Putin and Lukashenko also "reaffirmed their readiness to support contacts between relevant services to respond to terrorism and extremism threats effectively".

Background: The United States has no doubt that ISIS was involved in the terrorist attack on a concert in the suburbs of Moscow on the evening of 22 March and had warned Russia in advance of the threat of such a terrorist attack.

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