Russian President Vladimir Putin may not extend his congratulations to the US president-elect following the upcoming election, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Earlier this week, Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris made derogatory remarks about Putin, drawing condemnation from Moscow. US voters will decide between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump on November 5.
Peskov has suggested that it does not matter who wins the election, stating, “I don’t think so, they [the US] are an extremely unfriendly state after all.” The term ‘unfriendly’ state refers to countries that are deemed by Moscow to have engaged in hostile actions against Russia and its citizens. The United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union nations are on this list, along with several others.
Bilateral ties between Russia and the US took a significant downturn in 2022 when Washington imposed economic sanctions on Moscow after the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict. Furthermore, the White House has been providing substantial economic and military aid to Kiev, which has drawn criticism from Russian officials who accuse Washington of playing a direct role in the hostilities.
US President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in August, and Kamala Harris is expected to continue his policy of supporting Ukraine. In an interview this week, the Democratic candidate described Putin as a “murderous dictator” and America’s “adversary.” The Russian embassy condemned the remarks as “outrageous.
Kamala Harris’ rival, Republican candidate Donald Trump, has repeatedly vowed to end the Ukraine conflict “within 24 hours” of being elected. However, Moscow has expressed doubt about Trump’s claims. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed in September that Donald Trump had told him that the US would continue to support Kiev if he wins.
Peskov previously stated that Russia-US relations had reached a historic low during the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden, with no prospects for improvement. Putin congratulated Donald Trump and Joe Biden following the previous elections in 2016 and 2020, respectively.