That Putin Felt Compelled to Distract Attention to Kursk by Visiting Beslan a Positive Sign, Pastukhov Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Aug. 21 – Many have been outraged by Putin’s visit to Beslan and his effort to tie events there two decades ago to what is going on in Kursk now, viewing all this as a cynical attempt to exploit that tragedy to distract the attention of Russians from the Ukrainian incursion. But Vladimir Pastukhov says that Putin’s need to do so has some positive aspects.

            Speaking in Beslan while on the road from Baku to Grozny, Putin justified the criticism he has received, the London-based Russian analyst says. He sought to minimize what is happening in Kursk by suggesting that it like Beslans is “not a war but terrorists,” something everyone will always have and that it is only “a local tragedy” (t.me/v_pastukhov/1213 reposted at kasparov.ru/material.php?id=66C5764D15F73).

            But that isn’t the whole story, Pastukhov continues. What Putin did shows that he and his staff are still agitated by public opinion and feel that they must take steps to counter it even if they ignore its message in other respects and that to do so he would act as if he was in Beslan for the actual anniversary rather than ten days too early, an indication of the importance of doing so.

            Observers should welcome the fact that Putin and his staff still feel the need to do such things. That suggests that the attitudes of Russians matter more to those in the Kremlin than is usually thought – and while the impact may not be immediate, signs that it is happening at all can only be welcomed.