Fears ethnic clashes could wreck Russia

Published on Monday 27 December 2010 14:18

Ethnic tensions are "deadly dangerous" for Russia and could break it up if the government fails to stem violent nationalism and act more harshly to disperse riots, president Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday.

Mr Medvedev said police must crack down harder on the kind of riots that erupted just outside the Kremlin on 11 December. They involved soccer fans and racists chanting "Russia for Russians!" who clashed with police and beat members of ethnic minority groups from the Caucasus region.

He also told top Kremlin officials that regional governors must work more closely with ethnic groups to prevent a rise in aggressive nationalism.

"Inter-ethnic conflicts are deadly dangerous for Russia," Mr Medvedev said. "We mustn't allow some dimwits to destroy our common home."

The violence in Moscow raised doubts about the government's ability to control a rising tide of xenophobia.

It also embarrassed the Kremlin just days after Fifa awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia, and raised questions about the country's ability to safely stage international sporting events, including the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.