Supporting Kamala Harris In The US Presidential Election, President Putin: Trump Implements Many Restrictions And Sanctions

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin said he supports Kamala Harris to win the 2024 United States Presidential Election which will be held next November, saying rival Donald Trump imposed many restrictions and sanctions on Russia.

That was said by President Putin while attending Russia's Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok Thursday, a day after the US Department of Justice charged two Russian media executives with alleged illegal schemes to influence the November election with pro-Russian propaganda.

"I've already said, our favorite, if I may say, is the current president, Biden," President Putin said, quoted by NBC News September 5.

"He has left the election, but he advised all his supporters to support Mrs. Harris. So we will do it too, we will support him," he said, greeted with applause from the audience.

"Second, he has expressive and contagious laughter so it means he's fine," President Putin continued, speaking of Harris.

"And if he's okay then Trump imposes so many restrictions and sanctions on Russia, unlike the president has ever done before. And if Harris is fine, maybe he will refrain from doing anything like that," he said.

Before President Joe Biden resigned from the presidential election contestation, President Putin said last February he preferred President Biden over Trump, because the Democratic Party politician was the "old school" who was more predictable.

The US intelligence agency believes Moscow actually wants Trump to win, as he is less committed to supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia.

"In the end, the choice is in the hands of the American people, and we will respect that choice," the Kremlin leader concluded.

Previously, US intelligence had established that Russia was running a disinformation campaign to increase Trump's campaign against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 elections and sought to weaken Clinton's campaign.

The Kremlin itself has repeatedly denied interfering in Uncle Sam's country election.