Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday criticized
anti-racism protests in the United States for sparking crowd
violence, in his first comments on the issue.
“If this fight for natural rights, legal rights, turns into
mayhem and rioting, I see nothing good for the country,” Putin said
in an interview with Rossiya-1 television to be broadcast in full
on Sunday evening.
“We have never supported this,” he said.
The Russian leader stressed he supported black Americans’
struggle for equality, calling this “a long-standing problem of the
United States.”
“We always in the USSR and in modern Russia had a lot of
sympathy for the struggle of Afro-Americans for their natural
rights,” he insisted.
But Putin added that “when – even after crimes are committed –
this takes on elements of radical nationalism and extremism,
nothing good will come of this.”
Putin also described the protests as a sign of “deep-seated
internal crises” in the U.S., linking the unrest to the coronavirus
pandemic, which he said “has shone a spotlight on general
problems.”
He said he nevertheless expected that the “fundamental basis of
American democracy will allow the country to escape this series of
crisis events.”
Asked about reactions to the U.S. protests, including
demonstrations in Europe and statues being pulled down, Putin said
“this is undoubtedly a destructive phenomenon.”
He suggested protesters wanted only Afro-American doctors to
treat Afro-Americans and said this would be impossible in
“multi-ethnic Russia.”
The interview was billed as Putin’s first since the start of the
pandemic though it is not clear when it was recorded. The president
made his first public appearance at an open-air event in Moscow on
Friday after weeks of lockdown at his country residence.
Russia handled the epidemic better than the
U.S.
In the interview, Putin also said Russia was emerging from the
novel coronavirus epidemic with minimal losses, having handled it
better than the U.S., where he said party political interests got
in the way.
With 528,964 confirmed cases, Russia has the third-highest
number of infections after Brazil and the U.S.
Its official death toll stands at 6,948, much lower than in many
other countries, including the U.S. which has had over 115,000
deaths. The veracity of Russian statistics has sometimes been the
focus of fierce debate, however.
“We are working rather smoothly and emerging from this situation
with the coronavirus confidently and, with minimal losses… But in
the (United) States that is not happening,” Putin told state
TV.
Russia’s political system had handled the crisis better than its
U.S. counterpart because authorities at the federal and regional
level had worked as one team without disagreements, unlike those in
the United States, Putin said.
“I can’t imagine someone in the (Russian) government or regions
saying we are not going to do what the government or president
say,” he said. “It seems to me that the problem (in the U.S.) is
that group, in this case party interests, are put above those of
society’s as a whole, above the interests of the people.”
The virus had exposed what he called deep internal crises that
dated back to U.S. President Donald Trump’s election victory and
efforts by rivals to undermine its legitimacy.
(With input from AFP, Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday criticized
anti-racism protests in the United States for sparking crowd
violence, in his first comments on the issue.
“If this fight for natural rights, legal rights, turns into
mayhem and rioting, I see nothing good for the country,” Putin said
in an interview with Rossiya-1 television to be broadcast in full
on Sunday evening.
“We have never supported this,” he said.
The Russian leader stressed he supported black Americans’
struggle for equality, calling this “a long-standing problem of the
United States.”
“We always in the USSR and in modern Russia had a lot of
sympathy for the struggle of Afro-Americans for their natural
rights,” he insisted.
But Putin added that “when – even after crimes are committed –
this takes on elements of radical nationalism and extremism,
nothing good will come of this.”
Putin also described the protests as a sign of “deep-seated
internal crises” in the U.S., linking the unrest to the coronavirus
pandemic, which he said “has shone a spotlight on general
problems.”
He said he nevertheless expected that the “fundamental basis of
American democracy will allow the country to escape this series of
crisis events.”
Asked about reactions to the U.S. protests, including
demonstrations in Europe and statues being pulled down, Putin said
“this is undoubtedly a destructive phenomenon.”
He suggested protesters wanted only Afro-American doctors to
treat Afro-Americans and said this would be impossible in
“multi-ethnic Russia.”
The interview was billed as Putin’s first since the start of the
pandemic though it is not clear when it was recorded. The president
made his first public appearance at an open-air event in Moscow on
Friday after weeks of lockdown at his country residence.
Russia handled the epidemic better than the
U.S.
In the interview, Putin also said Russia was emerging from the
novel coronavirus epidemic with minimal losses, having handled it
better than the U.S., where he said party political interests got
in the way.
With 528,964 confirmed cases, Russia has the third-highest
number of infections after Brazil and the U.S.
Its official death toll stands at 6,948, much lower than in many
other countries, including the U.S. which has had over 115,000
deaths. The veracity of Russian statistics has sometimes been the
focus of fierce debate, however.
“We are working rather smoothly and emerging from this situation
with the coronavirus confidently and, with minimal losses… But in
the (United) States that is not happening,” Putin told state
TV.
Russia’s political system had handled the crisis better than its
U.S. counterpart because authorities at the federal and regional
level had worked as one team without disagreements, unlike those in
the United States, Putin said.
“I can’t imagine someone in the (Russian) government or regions
saying we are not going to do what the government or president
say,” he said. “It seems to me that the problem (in the U.S.) is
that group, in this case party interests, are put above those of
society’s as a whole, above the interests of the people.”
The virus had exposed what he called deep internal crises that
dated back to U.S. President Donald Trump’s election victory and
efforts by rivals to undermine its legitimacy.
(With input from AFP, Reuters)