WASHINGTON, April 1. /TASS/. Russia is convinced that if needed, the United States will help Russia to combat the coronavirus outbreak, and Moscow will not turn down Washington’s assistance, Russia’s Ambassador in Washington Anatoly Antonov said on Wednesday.
"My country is offering a helping hand to the people of America. It is a historical moment and the continuation of a centuries-long tradition. It is not now the time for quarreling," the embassy’s press office said citing Antonov’s answers to reporters’ questions.
"We can provide urgently needed equipment, namely disinfectants, goggles, masks and ventilators, to save Americans. The Russian humanitarian mission will already be a success even though only one life is saved," Antonov said.
"We are confident that America will help us if it is needed and we will accept it [assistance] with pleasure, without any politicization," he emphasized.
According to the ambassador, Russia and the US have been sharing the deep history of mutual help.
"We have more than once come to each other’s rescue, both in military and peace times," Antonov reminded. "At the end of the 18th century Russia declared armed neutrality, which facilitated the victory of North American colonies in their war for independence. We remember American doctors’ assistance during the Crimean War and the Northerners’ delight about the arrival of Russian [Navy] squadrons in New York and San Francisco in 1863 at the height of the bloody American Civil War."
The ambassador pointed out that the mass celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of Victory in World War Two had been put at risk in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
"It is sad symbolism. A new global threat prevents us from honoring the feat of those who defeated the main plague of the 20th century and from bowing to those who are still alive," he said. "And for their sake, we must join our efforts to demonstrate that the spirit of the Elbe is alive."
Johns Hopkins University, which calculates statistics based on the government, WHO and other official source numbers, reports that the US has more than 190,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, while over 4,100 people died from that infection.
In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. To date, more than 850,000 people have been infected worldwide and over 42,000 deaths have been reported. So far, a total of 2,777 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 190 patients having recovered from the illness. The country’s latest data indicates 24 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public informed about the coronavirus situation.