Achi news desk-
The White House strongly rejected Russian claims on Thursday that the United States or Ukraine were involved in a terrorist attack on a concert hall near Moscow, and said it was giving the Kremlin written advance warning of an attack.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described the claims as “nonsense” and “propaganda,” and said Russia was trying to deflect blame onto “everybody else that fits their political narratives.”
He said that in addition to the public warning issued on March 7 by the US Embassy in Moscow, which “accurately identified the terrorist threat posed to concerts in Moscow,” the United States “tried to help prevent this terrorist attack” by provide the Kremlin with “clear, detailed information” in a written warning to Russian security services.
“We provided this information to Russia because the United States takes our duty to warn seriously. We never want to see innocent lives lost in terrorist attacks, and this warning was one of many that the US government has been handed over to Russia since September 2023,” Kirby said.
“ISIS bears full responsibility for this attack. The United States will remain vigilant and alert to governments around the world whenever we learn of terrorist plots, regardless of our relationship,” he added, referring to the terrorist group Daesh / ISIS.
Gunmen opened fire on concertgoers at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow on Friday. Authorities have confirmed that 143 victims were killed, and more than 360 were injured. Daesh/ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Kremlin has tried to blame the United States and Ukraine for the attack. Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), accused the US, the UK and Ukraine of being behind last week’s attack.
“I can definitely say that there is a political background. And the Islamists alone could not prepare such an act. Of course, they were helped. And we see the Ukrainian trace in this. The basic data that we have to receive from the prisoners confirming this,” he told reporters.
