International politics reacted to the attack in a concert hall in Moscow with shock and sadness. The US said it had warned Russia of an impending attack of this kind. Ukraine denied any involvement.
The attack in a concert hall in Moscow, which killed more than 60 people, provoked shocked international reactions. The terrorist militia “Islamic State” has claimed responsibility for the crime and the suspected attackers are on the run.
The Foreign Office condemned the “terrible attack on innocent people” and condoled the victims’ families. The authorities called on the short message service X, formerly Twitter, to quickly clarify the background to the attack.
The deputy president of the Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, also spoke on X of a “cowardly attack on people who just wanted to listen to music.”
EU and UN condemn attack
The European Union also reacted with dismay to the attack near Moscow. The EU is shocked and horrified by the reports of a terrorist attack, said Peter Stano, spokesman for the EU Commission on the X platform. “The EU condemns any attacks against civilians. Our thoughts are with all affected Russian citizens,” he wrote.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “deep condolences” to the affected families and people in Russia as well as the government, according to a statement. Guterres wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The UN Security Council called for clarification after the “cowardly and despicable terrorist attack”. Perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors must be held accountable and brought to justice. All States are called upon to cooperate actively with the Government of Russia and other relevant authorities in accordance with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.
China assures Russia of support
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about the attack on state television channel CCTV. He emphasized that China rejects all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns terrorist attacks. China supports the efforts of the Russian government under President Vladimir Putin to maintain national security and stability.
Ukraine denies any involvement
Ukraine emphasized that it had no connection with the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said his country had nothing to do with the shooting in Moscow. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andrii Yusov told the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda that the act was a deliberate provocation by Russian special forces. Russian President Putin is committing crimes against his own people.
National Security Council representative John Kirby also emphasized that there was no evidence that Ukraine was involved in the attack. Kirby spoke of “terrible images” from Moscow that were difficult to bear. The USA’s thoughts are with the victims of the terrible armed attack.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova immediately responded to Kirby’s comments. It was premature for the USA to exonerate Ukraine, she said on Russian television. “If the United States or another country has reliable facts, they should provide them to the Russian side,” demanded Zakharova. Without such facts, neither the White House nor anyone else would have the right to grant absolution in advance.
USA claims to have warned Russia
The White House said the United States had recently warned Russian authorities of a possible attack targeting “large gatherings.” In March, the US government received information about a “planned terrorist attack in Moscow” that could potentially target “large gatherings, including concerts,” said US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson. Washington shared the information with the Russian authorities.
Other Western embassies had also recently warned of terrorist attacks in Moscow. The Kremlin described this as a provocation by the West.