The West fears that Putin will use the Moscow attack to toughen internal repression and aggression against Ukraine. The attack threatens the image of the head of the Kremlin as the guarantor of security for the Russian population.

Washington sees no reason to doubt the responsibility claimed by ISIS. The West has isolated Putin since he launched the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. But at the same time it maintains open channels with Moscow, among other things to exchange information.. The Kremlin has chosen to isolate itself—and its population—from what it considers a “collective West” and the values ​​it represents.