The head of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Paweł Kowal from the Civic Coalition (KO), stated on Saturday that he interprets the attack near Moscow in the context of Vladimir Putin’s potential objectives. He believes that the Russian president is seeking a pretext to intensify his actions in Ukraine and mobilize more Russians.
Kowal was asked by TVN24 commercial broadcaster about the terrorist attack that took place on Friday at the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, where armed attackers targeted people waiting for the Piknik band’s concert.
“There will be a lot of discussion about who is responsible for the attack. The Islamic State group, the Putin faction, or some mixed group will probably be discussed because, remember, there can be a mixed group,” he assessed.
According to Kowal, it should be remembered that Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, is “looking for opportunities to strike hard this year.”
“The conviction has grown that the year 2024 will be decisive. The spirit of this confrontation is hovering over Europe today. This means, on the one hand, that an increasing number of significant politicians in the West are saying: yes, there is a risk that Putin will strike at NATO countries; for this to happen, he must strike hard in 2024. Our task is to stand in his way and prevent such a development of events,” he said.
Kowal noted that Putin thinks in terms of a special operation, not rebellion and social movements. “In order to carry out his actions, he prepares provocations, strikes under a false flag, and pretends to be someone else," he emphasized.
He reminded that in the past, Putin often carried out a “special operation” or used some situation to justify greater terror or harsher action before taking any steps. “Putin is looking for a pretext to play harder in Ukraine, to mobilize more Russians internally,” he assessed.
“There will be a lot of discussion about who is responsible for the attack. The Islamic State group, the Putin faction, or some mixed group will probably be discussed because, remember, there can be a mixed group,” he assessed.
According to Kowal, it should be remembered that Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, is “looking for opportunities to strike hard this year.”
“The conviction has grown that the year 2024 will be decisive. The spirit of this confrontation is hovering over Europe today. This means, on the one hand, that an increasing number of significant politicians in the West are saying: yes, there is a risk that Putin will strike at NATO countries; for this to happen, he must strike hard in 2024. Our task is to stand in his way and prevent such a development of events,” he said.
Kowal noted that Putin thinks in terms of a special operation, not rebellion and social movements. “In order to carry out his actions, he prepares provocations, strikes under a false flag, and pretends to be someone else," he emphasized.
He reminded that in the past, Putin often carried out a “special operation” or used some situation to justify greater terror or harsher action before taking any steps. “Putin is looking for a pretext to play harder in Ukraine, to mobilize more Russians internally,” he assessed.
According to Kowal, Russia currently has a “better moment” and wants to “get into the window of opportunity before the U.S. elections.” “They are counting on two solutions: either Joe Biden will win, but he will be weaker, or Donald Trump will win, and we will quickly come to an agreement. Putin wants this solution, so he is counting on weakening Ukraine quickly. Putin realizes that in a year or two he may be in a more difficult situation if he does not take advantage of this 2024 window,” he pointed out.
Kowal was asked if he believed in the assurances of Ukrainian intelligence that the country had nothing to do with the attack. “There are no serious voices, analyses, let alone reserves today, that would concern Ukraine,” he assessed.
He emphasized that he looks at the attack from the perspective of potential targets of Vladimir Putin. “He knows what we know. If the German Minister of Defense says that there will be a strike on the West in a few years, if the British say the same, if we hear it from the French, then he knows the same data and operates on the same fear. On the one hand, he wants to intimidate, and on the other hand, he feels the weakness of Ukraine because the ammunition did not arrive there,” he said.
According to Kowal, Ukrainians are well-trained and still have a fighting spirit, but they have a serious problem with ammunition. “And now it’s a race against time,” he stated. Kowal noted that Prime Minister Donald Tusk has launched a diplomatic offensive in recent weeks. “If there is such mobilization in the West, it means something... It means that we are assessing the risks, trying to remedy this and stand in the way of what could happen,” he warned.
Armed attackers attacked the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, on Friday. Fire was opened at people, and there were also reports of explosions. A fire broke out in the building, causing the upper floor to collapse.
Kowal was asked if he believed in the assurances of Ukrainian intelligence that the country had nothing to do with the attack. “There are no serious voices, analyses, let alone reserves today, that would concern Ukraine,” he assessed.
He emphasized that he looks at the attack from the perspective of potential targets of Vladimir Putin. “He knows what we know. If the German Minister of Defense says that there will be a strike on the West in a few years, if the British say the same, if we hear it from the French, then he knows the same data and operates on the same fear. On the one hand, he wants to intimidate, and on the other hand, he feels the weakness of Ukraine because the ammunition did not arrive there,” he said.
According to Kowal, Ukrainians are well-trained and still have a fighting spirit, but they have a serious problem with ammunition. “And now it’s a race against time,” he stated. Kowal noted that Prime Minister Donald Tusk has launched a diplomatic offensive in recent weeks. “If there is such mobilization in the West, it means something... It means that we are assessing the risks, trying to remedy this and stand in the way of what could happen,” he warned.
Armed attackers attacked the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, on Friday. Fire was opened at people, and there were also reports of explosions. A fire broke out in the building, causing the upper floor to collapse.
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