He referred to hundreds of Britons and foreign spokesmen flocking to the embassy to make entries in the condolence book. Jack Straw, Britain's Foreign Secretary, was among this morning's visitors, said Mr. Karasin.
"Today, we are burying our children and women. We are bereaved, and ought to make conclusions from our tragedy. President Vladimir Putin explicitly said so in last Saturday's public address."
The ambassador called Great Britain to make conclusions, too. It has heartfelt sympathy for Russia, true, and it is high time for the people at Britain's political top to think hard about Chechen independence fighters-what if those fighters are backing kid-killers? To reappraise the situation is a hard brainwork. Current developments demand closer solidarity than ever before, said the diplomat as he called to join hands and answer tormenting questions together.
A reporter asked the ambassador's opinion of a shift in the British public mood concerning Chechen independence-in particular, asylum Britain granted separatist emissary Ahmad Zakayev last year.
"You need only to talk to British politicians and read the British press to see that opinion clashes round the matter will go on. As I see it, ever more people have been wondering these few days whether encouragement of Chechen separatism and independence idea boils down to backing terrorism. I think the number of such people has become critical," replied the diplomat.
