White House urges Putin to ‘stop talking’ about US election after backing Harris

September 6 () –

White House Homeland Security spokesman John Kirby on Thursday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop talking” about the US presidential election in November, referring to the Russian president’s previous statements showing his support for Democratic candidate and current vice president Kamala Harris.

“Mr. Putin should stop talking about our elections, period. He should not favor anyone one way or another. The only one who should decide who will be the next president of the United States is the American people. And we would greatly appreciate it if Mr. Putin would, first, stop talking about our elections and, second, stop interfering in them,” Kirby said during a press conference.

Hours earlier, Putin said he would “respect” any outcome, but hinted that he was leaning toward Harris because his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, “imposed more sanctions on Russia than any other president.”

“If Harris does well, she might refrain from similar actions,” Putin said, noting specifically that his “favorite” was the current president, Joe Biden, and that he therefore “supports” his vice president and replacement in the election campaign. He also believes that Harris’s “expressive” and “infectious” laugh is a sign that “everything is going well for her.”