The Russian president said on Thursday, September 5, that he preferred the Democrat’s candidacy to that of Donald Trump, who had imposed “more sanctions on Russia than any president” before him.
Who would have believed it? Vladimir Putin assured this Thursday, September 5th, “sustain” Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for the US presidential election in November. At an economic forum in Vladivostok, the Russian president justified this surprising statement with several reasons. First, as Joe Biden has “recommended to his voters to support Ms. Harris, we will support her too,” Putin said bravado. Before Joe Biden withdrew from the race for the White House, the Kremlin boss had already stated that he preferred the Democrat’s candidacy to that of Donald Trump.
Vladimir Putin also considered that the former Republican head of state, in power from 2017 to 2021, had imposed “more sanctions on Russia than any president” before him. Kamala Harris “will perhaps refrain from doing such things” he said. “Second, she has such an expressive and infectious laugh that it shows she is doing well,” Putin added, in a double dig, referring to the Democratic candidate’s laughter, mocked by Trump supporters, and to the declining strength of the outgoing president.
The White House responded curtly to a call to Vladimir Putin this Thursday afternoon: “The only people who should determine who the next president of the United States is are the American people, and we would greatly appreciate it if Mr. Putin would, ‘little a’: stop talking about our election, and, ‘little b’: stop meddling in it,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
This announcement is all the more surprising as it comes in a context of new tensions between Washington and Moscow. On Wednesday, the American authorities imposed sanctions and announced prosecutions against executives of the Russian media outlet RT, accused of attempts to interfere in the November 2024 elections.
“Russia’s preferences have not changed”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the measures taken against RT officials were part of a “campaign […] long-prepared and which is necessary as we approach the last phase of the electoral cycle” She assured that Moscow was preparing “of course“a response to these new sanctions capable of”make everyone shudder“, in an interview with the state news agency Ria Novosti.
Russia had already been accused of carrying out influence operations, particularly on social networks, during the 2016 presidential election, in favour of Donald Trump, who won the election. The American Minister of Justice, Merrick Garland, assured that “Russia’s preferences have not changed since the last election“, seemed to indicate that Moscow was pushing the Republican candidate again. So Russia continues to do what it does best: sow trouble.
Update : at 5:07 p.m., with the addition of the White House reaction.
