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As US Reels From Capitol Violence, Russia Enjoys the Show

Charles Maynes

   MOSCOW - While governments around the world have expressed outrage and
   sadness over rioting that engulfed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, Russia
   took a different view -- namely, vindication with a bit of gloating.
   "The celebration of democracy is over," Konstantin Kosachev, head of
   the foreign affairs committee in Russia's Federation Council, said in a
   [1]Facebook post in which he argued -- not for the first time --
   against placing America as the model among global democracies.
   "America no longer forges that path, and consequently has lost its
   right to define it. Much less force it on others," he said.
   Kosachev argued that the divisions in U.S. society were so deep that
   neither Republicans nor Democrats would accept the results of
   unsuccessful election bids going forward.
   Russia's foreign ministry also focused on Thursday on the split in the
   U.S. electorate, while bristling again over past U.S. criticism of
   Russia's own elections.
   "It's an internal issue for the USA," said Ministry of Foreign Affairs
   spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in [2]comments to journalists.
   "But again, we would point out that the electoral system in the U.S. is
   archaic and doesn't meet modern democratic standards, creates the
   possibility for various violations, and the American media has become
   an instrument of political infighting."
   In its coverage, Russian state media promoted assertions by President
   Donald Trump, which have been repeatedly discredited, of
   election-rigging by thousands of alleged "dead soul" voters through
   mail-in voting.
   The Russian press has also generally supported Trump's claims of a
   "deep state conspiracy" aimed at thwarting his efforts to improve
   relations with Moscow following allegations of Russian interference in
   the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.
   Still, commentators greeted the latest events in Washington with "what
   about" -style comparisons drawn from the U.S. response to democratic
   uprisings in neighboring former Soviet republics like Belarus and
   Ukraine, where, the Kremlin argues, the U.S. has sought to overthrow
   Moscow-friendly governments by cheering on protesters.

References

   1. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3588469511233785&id=100002123135703
   2. https://tass.ru/politika/10417405

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