The uprising was hailed by the Kremlin as a prime cause, with Russian President Vladimir Putin himself calling for an inquiry into the death of Ashli Babbitt, who was part of the mob that attacked the US Capitol. Russia’s state-controlled media obsessively covered the infamous attack, praising would-be insurgents as law-abiding protesters and criticizing the United States for prosecuting them. But now, propagandists seem to be worried that the hearings could negatively affect the chances of re-electing their so-called “partner”, former US President Donald J. Trump. The Kremlin-controlled state media enjoys President Biden’s growing popularity, describing Trump as an instrument for re-election and openly hoping that a mid-term Republican takeover would mean a change in US foreign policy toward the United States. The January 6 committee hearings seem to be a fly in the ointment, and now Putin’s propagandists are no longer sure what the next election might be like. Assuming that the prosecution of Trump is completely inevitable, state television presenter Vladimir Solovyov appeared upset during The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov last Friday: “Look at what is happening in America. “A criminal prosecution against Trump and his supporters is an obvious step towards a dictatorship.” Solovyov failed to mention the kind of sanctions one could face in Russia for plotting a violent uprising, where people are arrested for something as harmless as holding up a “Peace” sign or even a blank sheet of paper. As dissidents were not invited to appear on his broadcasts, Solovyov did not need to worry about anyone refuting the US portrayal of Russia with unflattering comparisons to Russia. Dmitry Abzalov, Director of the Center for Strategic Communications, was equally upset: “The most crucial point is this: we need to understand what is going to happen in the electoral sense. The internal political component is extremely important. The most important events in our political calendar are the local elections in Great Britain as well as a very difficult situation in July and August, since the by-elections in the USA actually start during the summer months. “Every Thursday they will lynch Trump in prime time.” Dmitry Eustafiev, a political scientist and professor of communications, said: “We are watching what is happening in the United States: an apparent escalation of the political conflict. Once again, they are trying to put Trump in jail, because the November elections are moving in a bad direction … Inflation is not falling. The most interesting thing is that it does not fall anywhere, not even in a country … with what and with whom do they plan to fight against us in Ukraine? Who do they intend to use to break us up? Yes, they will maintain the current level of arms delivery, but for how long? For three to four months. “ The same day, Igor Kozhevin, the presenter of the state-run Vesti news program on Rossiya-1, reported on Biden’s viewership decline and Trump’s public shame for inciting the uprising. He added: “Based on the latest news, it seems that the Americans do not want to see either Biden or Trump in the White House in 2024.” Reporting from the United States, Dennis Davidov complained: “The prime time auditions are a real show, organized by Trump’s enemies on the committee investigating the January 6 events.” To emphasize that the hearings are nothing more than a political theater and should not be taken lightly, Rossiya-1 aired translated video clips condemning the proceedings involving minority leader Kevin McCarthy and MP Elise Stefanik. as well as Fox News host Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson. “Nearly a thousand participants in the Capitol invasion have been charged, many of them have been convicted,” Davidov said. As for the Democrats, the main culprit has not yet been punished: Donald Trump. Therefore, the show must continue. “ During his evening show, host Vladimir Solovyov noted with sadness: “They will continue to try to bleed Russia … Let us not be fooled, we are dealing with a strong economy and a powerful military-industrial complex … Yes, we have destroyed all the Russian and Soviet weapons they had, but things are far from resolved. “We are entering a conflict that can last for decades, and I am not even talking about Ukraine … They are fighting us with all seriousness, they are attacking us from all directions.” He predicted that “Russia’s great, serious war against the West” would last for years. “The president said we would take back what is ours and that is what we will do.” Solovyov mentioned his favorite blow: the threat of nuclear strikes, but his stance was broken by other experts, who admitted with displeasure that Westerners did not seem to take these terror tactics seriously. Solovyov reluctantly redirected his focus to conventional weapons: “They give up their weapons so easily, because they are convinced that they themselves are not in any danger. If they bleed completely from the point of view of weapons, this gives us the opportunity to take tough countermeasures … We use only 15 percent of our Armed Forces. Why; Because we understand that we may need to use them on other fronts. Neither Europe nor the United States can afford a conflict on two fronts. “Draw your own conclusions.” Russia’s State Duma deputy, Lt. Gen. Andrei Gurulyov, referred to the interim terms, saying: “Elections to Congress could have a direct impact on the current situation in Ukraine.” Referring to Putin’s recent statements, he added: “The president has said that we will take back what belongs to us and that is what we will do.”
