Russia, USA Resume Contacts on Global Security Issues

In the darkness of a world ravaged by violence, Washington saw a glimmer of hope for renewed dialog between the United States and Russia, a fundamental factor in global security. In an unexpected gesture, some senior members of President Joe Biden’s administration, the US State Department, and diplomatic representatives from NATO countries visited the Russian Embassy in Washington DC to honor the victims of the terrorist attack in Moscow that killed 139 people.

According to Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, important agreements were reached during this meeting to “discuss as soon as possible the current situation and further prospects for relations between Russia and the United States.” The first contacts are scheduled for the middle of next week (April 2-5), during which Ambassador Antonov will ask the American side “whether Russia-US relations have at least a minimal chance of not being completely destroyed.”

On Monday, March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin said for the first time that the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall was carried out by Islamic extremists. This hypothesis was also supported by Washington from the beginning. During the meeting to discuss measures taken after the terrorist attack, the Russian head of state said: “We know that the crime was committed by Islamic fundamentalists, whose ideology the Islamic world itself has been fighting for centuries.”