The attack in Moscow reminds us of the need for cooler heads to prevail

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It is vital that we bring boiling tensions back to a manageable temperature (AP)

I read Kim Sengupta’s recent piece with interest. The attack on a concert hall in Moscow was a sobering reminder that terrorism and fundamentalism are as much of a threat as ever, and that adherents to such belief systems will exploit current geopolitical tensions to serve their own monstrous end.

It is vital, therefore, that we bring those tensions back down to a manageable temperature, so that we might focus on those who wish to cause chaos for its own ends. Vladimir Putin’s claim that the attack was somehow Ukraine’s fault is antithetical to this aim, and further evidence that Russia will use any weapon in its arsenal no matter how broken and potentially damaging to its own interests. This is a short-sighted approach, that not only fails to further the prosperity of his own nation, but leaves it even more vulnerable to genuine threats.

Stephen Bloom