“Whoever sows terror…”: Politicians see Putin weakened after attack

“Whoever sows terror…”
Politicians see Putin weakened after the attack

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According to German foreign and defense politicians, the attack on the concert hall near Moscow exposed Putin’s weakness. Representatives of the Union, SPD and FDP fear more violent attacks on Ukraine as a distraction for the Kremlin.

According to the deputy chairman of the Union parliamentary group, Johann Wadephul, the attack on a concert hall in Moscow is a sign of weakness on the part of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The CDU politician warned that Putin could try to offset this impression with more massive attacks in Ukraine. Russia has “shown its vulnerability,” Wadephul told the editorial network Germany (RND). “After the lack of success in Ukraine and Prigozhin’s almost successful coup, this is very worrying news for Putin. One has to fear that he will respond with even more furor in Ukraine.”

Wadephul condemned the attack as “despicable.” It shows that the danger of Islamist terror from the Islamic State (IS), Al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah has not been averted. “We are well advised to significantly increase our own security efforts.”

“Russia is spreading terror itself”

The Social Democratic chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Michael Roth, expressed his sympathy for the attack victims, but at the same time reminded them that Russia itself was spreading terror. “Whoever sows terror will reap terror,” Roth told the RND. “With all our sympathy for so many innocent victims in Moscow, we must not forget that Russia itself is a terrorist state that once again terrorized the Ukrainian civilian population with rocket and drone attacks last night.”

The chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, sees the terrorist attack near Moscow that killed more than 130 people as a “severe blow” for the Russian security authorities. There had been a warning about attacks, “even specifically regarding concerts,” the FDP politician told “Bild am Sonntag”. It is incomprehensible that there were no additional security measures. “Obviously Putin, in a complete misjudgment, did not take these warnings seriously and will try to distract from them.” The secret services of the USA and other Western countries had already warned of an impending attack at the beginning of March. Kremlin leader Putin dismissed the warnings as a Western provocation.

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