“Terrorism is a global problem, combating it actually requires much greater international cooperation. Putin’s public disregard of American warnings was careless and negligent. Concertgoers were given a false sense of security.” states FAZ in its commentary regarding the shocking terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow and notes:

“Terrorist attacks are not easy to prevent. In this case, however, there is reason to assume that the Russian security apparatus was strained, if not distracted, by the war in Ukraine and the policy of repression at home. Putin has not made Russia stronger, as he constantly claims, but rather more vulnerable..

A people in torpor

On the part of the German Journalism Network RND comments: “The terrorist attack in Moscow shows that Russia’s massive security apparatus only protects itself and not the country’s citizens. Vladimir Putin pointedly ignored Western warnings about terrorism. What remains now is more oppression and more lies.”

“For two years Putin has presented his people as the biggest threat against Russia the ‘Nazis’ in Kiev. A few hours before the terrorist attack, Russian state media had announced that the LGBTI+ movement was also added to the official list of terrorists” notes the newspaper Welt. “That the real threat likely came from the Islamic State and the fact that Putin was warned by the US makes his lie fall apart. But Putin’s power is not threatened by this. The hope that the world will awaken en masse has all but disappeared over the years. Any resistance by a brave few is punishable by death. The majority of Russians look like a lethargic people left to their fate” the comment continues.

The real threat is not Ukraine

The Swiss newspaper NZZ identifies where the real threats to Russia ultimately lie and notes: “The declaration of war by the Islamic State of Khorasan is a serious challenge, especially since millions of Muslims and guest workers from Central Asian countries live in Russia. Among them, terrorists can recruit accomplices. Ukraine, on the other hand, is a threat invented from start to finish by the Putin regime(…) Therefore, Putin’s priorities are completely wrong. This demonstrates that Russia lacks a leadership that truly cares about the security of the country and its people.”.

In its analysis, finally, the financial newspaper Handelsblatt observes: “It may never be completely clear who was really behind the attack on innocent citizens who wanted to attend a concert. This probably doesn’t matter to Putin because he apparently decided long ago to exploit the attack for his own purposes.

The head of the Kremlin believes he is at war with the West. His spokesman is now officially talking about war with Ukraine – not just a special military operation. And it’s not just lip service: According to military analysts, massive equipment and the recruitment of additional reservists have far outstripped the resources required for the war in Ukraine. All this is convenient for Putin to satisfy his fantasies of Russian superpower.”

Dimitra Kyranoudis, Berlin