International

The head of Russian security accuses Ukraine and the West of being involved in the Moscow attack

The head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexandr Bórtnikov, today accused Ukraine of having participated “directly” and the West of being involved in the terrorist attack committed on Friday against a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, which was claimed by the Islamic State.

“We believe that the act was prepared by radical Islamists and, naturally, the Western secret services contributed to it,” Bórtnikov told local agencies, who added that the intelligence services of Ukraine had a “direct relationship” with the attack.

While he admitted that Moscow has not yet been able to establish for sure the identity of those who commissioned the attack, he pointed out that “we broadly believe that they are involved in it,” when answering a question about Kiev’s responsibility.

The head of the FSB also pointed out that “the Ukrainian side participated in the instruction and training of fighters in the Middle East.”

“The bandits intended to escape through the border. Right to the territory of Ukraine. According to our preliminary operational data, they were waiting for them there (…) And I tell them a secret: on the other side they wanted to receive them as heroes,” he said.

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Bortnikov advocated declaring the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) a “terrorist organization” and considered the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirilo Budanov, a “legitimate objective.”

The head of Russian security admitted that the United States warned them about a possible terrorist attack in Moscow, but added that he would have liked the information to be “more specific.”

He recalled that the same thing happened in 2017, when a suicide bombing killed 16 people on the St. Petersburg subway.

The head of the FSB made these statements after Putin suggested on Monday the existence of a black Ukrainian hand in the attack, despite the fact that the attack was immediately claimed by the Islamic State.

Both the United States and the European Union have urged the Kremlin to rule out as a hypothesis the participation of Ukraine in Friday’s terrorist attack.

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Meanwhile, the Basmanni Court in Moscow today decreed two-month pretrial detention for an eighth suspect involved in the terrorist attack.

This is Alisher Kasimov, 32, a Russian citizen of Kyrgysy origin who, according to the investigation, rented his apartment to the alleged perpetrators of the massacre.

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia does not need Western help to investigate the attack, due to its “double standards”

“I’m sure we can take care of this investigation,” Lavrov said during a joint press conference with his Namibian counterpart, Peya Mushelenga.

The head of Russian diplomacy added that if he accepts Western aid, it would “clearly contain double standards” in order to “promote” a version that suits the West.

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For Lavrov, that version consists of the fact that Ukraine “has nothing to do” with the terrorist attack, which left at least 139 dead and more than 180 injured.

In total, Russian security forces have arrested eleven people linked to the attack, claimed by the Islamic State, four of whom personally participated in the massacre.

On Tuesday, other senior Russian officials also spoke of the involvement of Kiev and Western countries in the tragedy, although they admitted that investigators have not yet established all those responsible for the crime.

International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.