Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his support for US Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential elections in November.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok today, Mr Putin said that he admired the Democratic Party candidate's "infectious laugh", Russian state media Russia Today (RT) reported.
The Russian leader had earlier backed US President Joe Biden, who he said is "a more experienced, predictable person, a politician of the old school". He added that he respected President Biden's decision to endorse her as his successor.
During a plenary session of the forum, Mr Putin said Kamala Harris "laughs so infectiously" that it suggests "everything is going well for her". He said this in response to a query about whether he had a favourite candidate in the election now that Mr Biden had dropped out.
"In the end, the choice is up to the American people and we will treat their eventual decision with respect," he said.
He also said that Ms Harris' positive disposition could mean she might refrain from imposing sanctions on Russia. According to an RT report, Mr Putin went on to say that former US President Donald Trump introduced more restrictions on Moscow than any other President in American history.
In repsonse to Mr Putin's remark, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby urged the leader to "stop interfering" in US elections.
"The only people who should get to determine who the next president of United States is are the American people, and we would greatly appreciate it if Mr. Putin would, a) stop talking about our election, and b) stop interfering in it," he said.
This comes amid reports of the US planning to accuse Russia of a campaign to influence the 2024 elections. A CNN report that cited six sources familiar with the matter, said Russia would target American voters with disinformation using online platforms.
Russian lawmaker Maria Butina spoke to Reuters and branded the report as "pure rubbish" and a "witch hunt". Notably, Ms Butina spent 15 months in a US prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent before becoming a lawmaker for the ruling United Russia party.
