MOSCOW: Russia sees US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as a more predictable opponent than former president Donald Trump, though in any case there is no prospect of an improvement in relations with Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
In an interview with a TV reporter, Peskov discussed the current state of US-Russia relations and the implications of the upcoming US presidential election.
Peskov noted that while Russia perceives Harris as more predictable than Trump, this does not imply any expectation of thawing relations between the two countries. The spokesman said that, despite Harris’ perceived predictability, US actions towards Russia have crossed what Moscow considers acceptable limits, resulting in a historic low in bilateral relations with no current prospects for improvement.
Peskov was particularly dismissive of Trump’s claim that he could resolve the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours if re-elected. The Kremlin spokesman referred to such promises as “fantasy,” suggesting that the idea of a new US president halting military aid to Ukraine and calling for peace negotiations in their inauguration speech is unrealistic. Peskov argued that such a dramatic shift in US policy would not fundamentally alter Kyiv’s stance or approach to the conflict.
The discussion touched on past comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding US presidential candidates. Prior to President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the November election and his endorsement of Harris, Putin had expressed a preference for Biden over Trump. Putin described Biden as an experienced “old school” politician, contrasting him with Trump’s more unpredictable nature.
Peskov said, “We have no candidate.” He further elaborated that the predictability Putin had praised in Biden applies to most Democrats, including Harris.
