MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russia would like the EU and G7 members to put forward comments regarding the ongoing protests that gripped the United States, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said Monday.

"Considering the storm of accusations, criticism and statements that we see from such organizations as the EU, NATO, G7 and PACE <…> regarding a number of countries, whether there are grounds for it or not, as well as from other structures which are in some way sponsored or encouraged by our American partners, we would like to hear their extensive comments [about the protests in the US]. We’ve been witnessing a whole array of events for the whole week — even one of them always earns a blast [of statements] from the very European Union, from Brussels, <...> and from NATO as well," Zakharova noted. "Where are the US partners? Why do we not hear from them?"

According to the diplomat, from this moment on, the US has lost its moral right to accuse other states of violating human rights. "As of today, they do not have this right anymore. I think that it is not a coincidence that they quit the UN Human Rights Council recently, they possibly foresaw [this outcome]," she added.

New campaign

Commenting on the statements of former National Security Adviser for ex-US President Barack Obama (2009-2017) Susan Rice regarding Russia’s role in inciting protests in the US, Zakharova branded them a part of a new campaign propogating "the Russian interference" in Washington’s affairs.

"This is definitely not a coincidence [Rice’s remarks], it is absolutely a part of that campaign that was launched back under Obama administration. She is put on air to construct a new middle-term story, I think," the diplomat concluded. "The story of the Russian interference in the events [protests] that we’ve been witnessing for the last week in the US. Possibly, this is partly her own position, but this is a professional campaign that is reaching its new stage."

The US plunged into a series of protests and riots happening daily across many states following the death of black man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a police officer knelt on his neck. On May 26, all four police officers who took part in the arrest were fired, and one of them was taken into custody on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter.

On Sunday, Rice told CNN that there are peaceful protests focused on the inequality that needs to be dealt with and there are extremists wishing to take over the protests to transform them into something else. Citing her expertise, she claimed that "this is right out of the Russian playbook." Rice also claimed that Russia’s aim is not just to shame the US but also pit Americans against each other.