Russian President Vladimir Putin is referring to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as a “stroll.”
“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.
He added, “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.”
President Joe Biden issued a strong rebuke of Russia while delivering remarks from the White House during a virtual session of the Munich Security Conference last month, as IJR previously reported.
“It’s so much easier for the Kremlin to bully and threaten individual states than it is to negotiate with a strong and closely-united transatlantic community,” Biden said.
He continued, “That’s why standing up for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine remains a vital concern for Europe and the United States.”
The president accused Russia of weaponizing “corruption to try to undermine our system of governance.”
Putin’s comments come as more than 300 Americans face charges stemming from the riots, as IJR reported.
The insurrection left five dead and more than 130 police officers injured as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol to protest the certification of electoral votes.
The U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday it anticipates another round of criminal charges against more than 100 additional protesters who allegedly participated in the insurrection.
