US warns Moscow to stay out of US election

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok he is supporting Democrat Kamala Harris to win the US election in November.

Vladimir Putin at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday. Picture: AFP

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he supported Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, an apparent wry remark that led to a renewed call from Washington for the Kremlin to “stop interfering”.

Putin was speaking a day after the US issued indictments accusing Moscow of vote interference. The Kremlin leader frequently comments on political and social issues in the US, often in a mocking way.

He said last year the US political system was “rotten” and Washington could not lecture other countries about democracy.

US officials have repeatedly warned of efforts by foreign powers to meddle in the upcoming election, accusing Moscow of seeking to influence US ballots dating back to the 2016 contest between Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“Firstly, (US President Joe) Biden recommended all his supporters support Mrs Harris,” Putin said during a question-and-answer session at Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Mr Biden withdrew from the race in July amid concerns about his age and health, endorsing his Vice-President, Ms Harris, to top the Democratic Party’s ticket.

“Here, we are going to do that too, we’re going to support her,” Putin told the audience, with a wry smile. “She laughs so contagiously that it shows that everything is fine with her.

“(Former president Donald) 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.”

Responding to Putin’s comments, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Thursday urged the Russian leader to “stop interfering” in US elections.

“The only people who should get to determine who the next president of the United States is are the American people, and we would greatly appreciate it if Mr Putin would, a) stop talking about our election, and b) stop interfering in it,” he said.

In February, Putin backed Mr Biden over Mr Trump, calling the incumbent more “predictable”.

Mr Trump has said he will end the Ukraine conflict within “24 hours” if re-elected, and praised Putin as a “very smart cookie” who had repeatedly outsmarted the US. Putin said in July he took Mr Trump’s comments about bringing a quick end to the fighting “quite seriously”, and denounced the former real estate magnate’s criminal convictions in the US as “persecution”.

AFP