Political analysts discuss CIA's role in prevention of attack on Kazan Cathedral

Public gratitude expressed by Vladimir Putin for the CIA's help in prevention of terror acts, which were allegedly plotted also by natives of Dagestan and Ingushetia, speaks about strengthening of cooperation between Russia and the United States. This opinion has been voiced by Mikhail Roschin. Alexander Perendjiev suggests there is hardly any close cooperation between the secret services.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 17, Vladimir Putin thanked US President Donald Trump for the CIA's information, which helped to prevent terror acts in Saint Petersburg.

Mikhail Roschin, Senior Researcher at the Centre for the Study of Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Urals and Volga Region of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), treats the Vladimir Putin's statement as "a real breakthrough" in the relations between Russia and the United States.

"I do not remember when the leader of the Russian state would express his gratitude to the FBI or the CIA. As far as I understand, the contacts between the secret services began to improve after the events at the Boston marathon. And the contacts are still developing. It is a very important point of the Russian-American relations," the researcher told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In his turn, Alexander Perendjiev, an expert of the Russian Association of Independent Military Political Analysts, Associate Professor of the Department for Political Science and Sociology at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, believes there is hardly any real interaction between the US and Russian secret services and administrations.

"Most likely, the ongoing events can be treated as some signs of attention. The public gesture made by Vladimir Putin at a meeting with journalists speaks of a desire to cooperate rather than of real interaction. This bow should have caused a response in the US, and Donald Trump should have answered the Russian leader and showed US opponents that he is an independent politician. However, nothing of that kind happen. And moreover, I believe the information provided by the US hardly helped the Russian secret services in some way. The FSB was certainly aware of the terror act under preparation," Alexander Perendjiev said.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.