The Kremlin expressed its displeasure on Wednesday regarding the manner in which Vladimir Putin's name was invoked during the US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, urging the candidates to refrain from involving him in their political disputes. Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president's spokesman, addressed the issue a week after Putin made a light-hearted comment indicating his preference for Harris over Trump, which led the White House to request that Putin cease commenting on the Nov. 5 election. Peskov informed reporters that the Kremlin had not closely monitored Tuesday night's debate but had kept abreast of news reports concerning it.
"Naturally, we observed that both candidates referenced our president and our country. It is evident that the US, regardless of the party affiliation of the candidates, holds a negative, unfriendly stance towards our nation," Peskov stated. "Putin's name is being utilized as a tool in the domestic political battle within the US. We strongly dislike this, and we anticipate that they will cease involving our President's name."
During the debate, Trump and Harris engaged in heated exchanges regarding Putin and the conflict in Ukraine. Harris warned Trump that Putin "would eat you for lunch" and suggested that the Russian leader would be "sitting in Kyiv right now" if Trump were President. Trump advocated for the swift conclusion of the war in Ukraine, without specifying whether he desired Ukraine to emerge victorious. He reiterated his claim that, if elected, he would resolve the conflict before assuming office, though he did not elaborate on how he would achieve this. Additionally, he criticized US President Joe Biden for not having contacted Putin in the past two years.
In response to a query, Peskov asserted that a phone call would not have resolved the conflict. Instead, he emphasized the need for the US to "abandon its policy of treating Ukraine as expendable material in an effort to suppress all aspects related to the Russian Federation."
