Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday mocked the deadly Jan. 6 riot of former President Trump’s supporters at the U.S. Capitol as a “stroll” while arguing dysfunction in the United States was the real obstacle to stable relations.
“Some of the people who took a stroll to the U.S. Congress — 150 people were arrested, they face imprisonment from 15 to 25 years,” Putin said during a meeting on increasing investment activity, according to The Associated Press.
“Will all these internal controversies end there or not? We do not know, but we want it to end, because we are interested in stable relations with all our main partners,” Putin added.
The remarks come as Putin has faced the most serious challenges to his more than two-decade run as the top leader of Russia. Police in Moscow in February crushed protests in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has since been jailed.
Russia represents one of the biggest challenges facing the Biden administration given rising tensions between the two countries.
During a visit to the State Department last month, Biden signaled a tougher tone, stating that the U.S. would no longer roll over to Russia.
The Justice Department has charged more than 300 people in relation to the insurrection, which interrupted the certification of Biden’s Electoral College win.
The riot was far from a stroll. A mob overwhelmed Capitol Police and caused mayhem throughout the building, smashing windows, stealing laptops and vandalizing offices.
Four protesters died, including a 35-year-old woman whom a Capitol policeman shot as she attempted to access the House chamber. A Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, 42, also died of injuries sustained during the assault.
The rioters caused an estimated $25,000 in damage to the House’s art and artifacts.