Vladivostok (dpa) – Before the presidential election in the USA, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin declared his alleged support for candidate Kamala Harris. The US politician has such an expressive and “infectious laugh” that shows that everything is going well for her, Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on the Pacific.
He has always said that he favors US President Joe Biden. Putin has praised Biden for being more predictable than his predecessor Donald Trump. Since Biden has been taken out of the election campaign and is now supporting Harris, “we will also support her.” But the choice is up to the American people, Putin said.
The 71-year-old spoke at a plenary session in the presence of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on issues of world trade and international politics. The Kremlin chief criticized the fact that US sanctions against Russia had been imposed, particularly under Trump. “Trump has imposed more restrictions and sanctions on Russia than any president before him. And if Mrs. Harris is doing well, she may refrain from these kinds of measures,” he said, referring to her laughter.
The US government accuses Russia of interfering in the upcoming presidential election in November. The US imposed sanctions on several individuals and organizations on Wednesday, including representatives of the Russian state broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today), the Treasury Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in Washington. Garland said Putin’s inner circle had instructed Russian PR firms to “promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 US presidential election.”
USA accuses Russia of election interference
According to American officials, Moscow had already interfered in previous US elections. According to US intelligence services, Russia supported Republican Trump in the 2020 election and tried to harm Democrat Biden. Moscow wanted to influence the outcome of the election and sow discord in the country, according to a published intelligence report.
US security authorities are also convinced that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in favor of candidate Trump in order to thwart Democrat Hillary Clinton. A special investigator later investigated possible illegal agreements between Russia and Trump’s team. There was insufficient evidence for this.
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