Putin Says Russia Will Support Kamala Harris in US Election

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a controversial statement supporting Kamala Harris in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. This remark came just a day after Washington accused Moscow of attempting to influence the election.

Putin’s comments were delivered during a Q&A session at Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Known for his sarcastic and often provocative statements about U.S. politics, Putin’s latest remarks seemed to reflect this pattern. He noted that President Joe Biden had recommended that his supporters back Harris, adding with a wry smile, “Here, we are going to do that too, we’re going to support her.”

Putin further commented on Harris’s laughter, suggesting that it indicates she is in good spirits, and made a veiled critique of former President Donald Trump. He remarked, “Trump has imposed as many sanctions on Russia as any president has ever imposed before, and if Harris is doing well, perhaps she will refrain from such actions.”

This comment followed a previous endorsement by Putin of Biden over Trump in February, describing Biden as more “predictable.” The White House had previously urged Putin to “stay out” of U.S. elections.

Putin’s recent statements come in the context of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia. The day before, the U.S. had indicted two employees of the Russian state-run news network RT and imposed sanctions on its top editors, accusing them of efforts to influence the U.S. election.