Editorial: Le Monde

• Vladimir Putin was reelected for a fifth presidential term on March 17th.
• A week later, an attack at the Crocus City Hall left 144 dead, the worst terrorist act in Russia in two decades.
• The attack was claimed by the Islamic State of Khorasan, but Putin attempted to establish a connection with Ukraine without implicating Kiev.
• The attack contradicts Putin's narrative that Russia's only existential challenge comes from confrontation with the West.
• A warning from the United States about an imminent terrorist threat was ignored by Russian authorities.
• The attack evidences that freedoms in Russia have suffered under a repressive regime that hasn't provided the due protection.

Conclusion: The attack, proof of the ongoing threat of terrorism and Putin's regime's failure to anticipate and protect its citizens, signifies a deep setback for the Kremlin.

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