On the surface, it looks like Vladimir Putin is putting all his Fabergé eggs in Kamala Harris’ basket.
But looks can be deceiving.
The Russian president said during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, that he wants Vice President Harris to be victorious in the race for the White House, per Politico.
He said it with a smirk on his face.
“First of all, [Joe] Biden recommended all his supporters to support Ms. Harris. We previously said Biden was our preferred candidate,” Putin said. “So now we will do as he said, we will support her.”
And Putin appears to be tickled by Harris’ laugh.
“Second, she laughs so expressively and infectiously. That means that she is doing well,” he joked. “Trump has imposed more sanctions on Russia than any president has imposed before, and if Harris is doing well, then perhaps she will refrain from doing this kind of thing.”
Putin has allegedly declared his support for Democrats before.
In February this year, Putin said Biden was his candidate because of his experience and predictability is more favorable than Trump.
However, Trump has been an ally to Purtin and has not criticized the Russian leader.
One Ukrainian scholar said it is preposterous to think Putin would back anyone but Trump.
“Of course, it would be absurd to suggest that Kamala Harris, or any other high-ranking official in the Biden administration, would serve Putin or Russia’s interests better than Donald Trump,” Vladyslav Faraponov, head of the board at Ukraine’s Institute of American Studies, said. “This seems to be yet another public cover for Russia’s ongoing attempts to influence U.S. elections.”
The timing of this “endorsement” serves a purpose, Faraponov suggested, saying, “With early voting beginning in late September, Putin clearly understands the timing.”
