Several explosions have occurred in Brussels this morning – in the check-in area of Brussels Airport and at a subway station. Another explosion took place in a street near the buildings of the European Commission and the EU Council. According to recent reports, at least 28 people are dead. The authorities have qualified the incident as a terrorist attack.
Many world leaders have condemned the crimes in the Belgian capital, noting that terrorism threatens the peoples of the world and the fight against it requires international cooperation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly condemned the barbaric crimes in Brussels and assured absolute solidarity with the Belgians in these hard hours, the presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"President Putin has already offered his condolences to King Philippe of Belgium over the deaths of civilians in a series of explosions in Brussels. The president strongly condemned the barbaric crimes that have been committed, offered condolences to the Belgian people and assured absolute solidarity of the Russians with the Belgians in these hard hours," RIA Novosti cited him as saying.
The Russian President in his letter to the King of Belgium expressed confidence that the murderers and their accomplices would get the punishment they deserve, the Kremlin press service reports.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has offered condolences to the Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel. “We were deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties and injuries as a result of explosions in Brussels. We are extremely outraged by this horrible tragedy, resolutely condemn all manifestations of terror and fully support the fight against terrorism. On the occasion of this tragedy, on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deep condolences to you, the families and the loved ones of victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” Trend cited Aliyev as saying.
The Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu condemned the attacks in Brussels. "I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks which took place in Brussels today and offer my condolences to the Belgian people. We must even more decisively unite in the fight against terrorism, I invite all of humanity to stand united against global terror and any sort of terrorism," he stressed at the AKP meeting.
Russia strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Brussels and is in solidarity with the Belgian people, the Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, said.
The Russian State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin, in his turn, called on the international community to unite in the fight against international terrorism. "The civilized world must unite against a common threat in the fight against international terrorism" TASS cited him as saying.
French President Francois Hollande said that the world is facing a global threat of terrorism.
"I am deeply saddened by the attacks here in Brussels this morning. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones, with all those affected, and with the people of Belgium. This is a cowardly attack. An attack on our values and on our open societies. Terrorism will not defeat democracy and take away our freedoms," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
"We have decided to increase the alert state at NATO headquarters. We remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation very closely," the Secretary General added.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, interrupted her briefing on the terrorist attacks in Brussels after tearing up.
The Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili also condemned the terrorist attacks, admitting that he was shocked to hear the news. "This is an attempt of psychological terror directed against free society. This is a brutal crime, which should be confronted by the whole world and adequately responded to. Georgia stands beside the civilized world in this fight," Georgia Sputnik cited him as saying.
