Vladimir Putin has just confirmed he wants Kamala Harris to be the next president of the US in a moment of typical Kremlin trolling.
The Russian president told an economic forum in the country’s far east that it was up to the American public to choose their next leader, but that he would recommend his supporters back Harris.
“She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her,” he said on Thursday, suggesting this could mean she would not impose further sanctions against Russia.
This comment is clearly tongue-in-cheek. After all, Harris was the vice-president when the US ordered a ban on oil, gas and coal imports from Russia in 2022, in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
And such seemingly affectionate remarks are at odds with the tensions between the US and Russia, which have only been rising since Putin started the war.
Only on Wednesday this week, the US justice department charged two Russian media executives over an alleged illegal scheme to influence the upcoming presidential election with pro-Russia propaganda – allegations Moscow denies.
Putin also endorsed outgoing president Joe Biden back in February, before he dropped out and was replaced by Harris.
In a similarly wry moment, he claimed Biden was a more “old school” politician than his Republican opponent Donald Trump, saying: “He’s more experienced, he’s predictable.”
Biden famously called Putin a “killer” in 2021, and has more recently called him a “murderous dictator” and a “pure thug”.
Trump, on the other hand, has regularly talked up his relationship with the Russian authoritarian leader, claiming to admire his “genius”.
Putin’s endorsement of Trump’s opposition seems strange at first glance.
US intelligence agencies think the Russian president would much rather a Trump-led White House, because the Republican is less committed to backing Kyiv.
But it’s widely believed Putin’s backing of Biden, and then Harris, is a stunt, meant to deflect claims Trump is pro-Putin.
The Republican nominee and former US president seemed to catch on to the irony earlier this year, claiming Putin’s endorsement of Biden was a “great compliment”, adding: “And of course, he would say that.”
Trump also claimed Putin would “have his dream of getting Ukraine because of Biden”.
Trump has repeatedly promised to end the Ukraine-Russia war, but has not offered many details, leading to concerns that he would allow Moscow to formally seize the Ukrainian land its troops currently occupy.