Russian President Vladimir Putin made a tongue-in-cheek comment on Thursday, suggesting that he prefers Kamala Harris to win the US presidential election.
According to Reuters, he cited her “infectious” laugh as a reason, drawing applause from the audience.
He added that as Biden had recommended his supporters to back Harris, “we will do the same, we will support her”.
However, US intelligence agencies believe that Russia actually wants Donald Trump to win, as he is less committed to supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Putin’s comment came a day after the US Justice Department charged two Russian media executives with an alleged illegal scheme to influence the November election with pro-Russian propaganda.
The Kremlin leader has repeatedly denied meddling in US elections, despite US intelligence determining that Russia ran a disinformation campaign to boost Trump’s campaign in 2016.
Putin’s remark about Harris was seen as ironic, given the US Justice Department’s recent charges against Russian media executives.
