All news

Kremlin vows to ensure safety of Russians in US if needed

Since last week, a number of US states have been engulfed in mass riots over the death of a Minneapolis man George Floyd, resulting in a curfew in about 40 cities and mobilization of about 67,000 National Guard troops

MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. Russian diplomatic missions in the US will help ensure the safety of Russian nationals if need arises over the riots that have swept the US, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

"There are diplomatic missions, foreign missions operating in the US, and, of course, in the event that [Russian] citizens need any measures of protection, they will be provided," Peskov told journalists.

Peskov noted that the issue of the US riots was not discussed during a phone call between presidents Trump and Putin. "This is not an issue of bilateral Russian-American relations," he explained.

Since last week, mass riots have engulfed many US states over the death of an African-American Minneapolis man named George Floyd. He died after a police officer kneeled on his neck and choked him to death while being taken into custody. On May 26, all police officers involved in the deadly arrest were fired and one policeman, Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

According to AP’s estimates, over 5,600 people were taken into custody during the wave of riots. Those apprehended were charged with looting, curfew violations and road-blocking. In Minneapolis, the number of those arrested is 155, while in New York that number mushroomed to almost 800, and in Los Angeles to over 900. A curfew is in force in about 40 US cities, with almost 67,000 US National Guard troops being mobilized.