Putin claims Islamists wouldn't have organised terrorist attack in Russia
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said that Russia cannot be the target of terrorist attacks by Islamic fundamentalists, as there is supposedly "inter-confessional harmony and unity" in the country.
Source: RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet
Quote from Putin: "Russia cannot be the target of terrorist attacks by Islamic fundamentalists. We have a country that demonstrates a unique example of inter-confessional harmony and unity, interreligious and interethnic unity."
Details: At the trade union congress, Putin began to argue that the main goal of the organisers of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow was to undermine the unity of the state.
"In this regard, of course, and judging by what the investigation is currently revealing, we have every reason to believe that the main goal of the organisers of the bloody and horrifying terrorist attack in Moscow was to undermine our unity. We can't find any other reasons, and they don't exist," Putin said.
Background:
- A shooting incident occurred prior to a concert by the band Piknik at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, on the evening of 22 March. Afterwards, a large fire broke out in the auditorium. The latest reports say 144 people died.
- The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shooting incident. However, Russia stubbornly continues to blame Ukraine for the attack, without providing any evidence. Kyiv strongly denies these accusations.
- Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the attack on the Crocus City Hall was carried out by "radical Islamists", but blamed the shooting on "those who are fighting Russia with the hands of the Kyiv regime".
- On 28 March, John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, once again denied Russian leader Vladimir Putin's claims that this terrorist attack was linked to Ukraine.
- The day before, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed US officials, that two weeks before the attack, the US government had informed Russian officials that Crocus City Hall was a potential target for terrorists.
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