The Kremlin has responded to remarks made by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin a “brutal dictator,” highlighting the apparent effort by Washington politicians to impose their worldview on the rest of the globe.
According to a report from Reuters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made these comments amid the ongoing war of words surrounding the U.S. presidential election and Russia’s involvement in the conflict with Ukraine.
Peskov addressed viewers during a television program, stating, “The seemingly noble political system of the United States is filled with this kind of political culture.” He added, “This may be the essence of the international relations model they attempt to impose on the world, which is increasingly disfavored by the majority of people globally.”
His remarks appeared to be a direct response to Harris, who, in an interview, described Putin in stark terms.
Additionally, according to excerpts from veteran journalist Bob Woodward’s new book, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, former President Donald Trump, a Republican candidate, sent testing equipment to Russia. Harris further amplified her comments in a radio interview, reinforcing her portrayal of Putin as a “brutal dictator.”
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, U.S.-Russia relations have plummeted to their lowest point since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, with both sides insisting that their internal affairs should not be subjected to outside commentary.
The United States had previously demanded that Putin refrain from commenting on the U.S. elections back in February and reiterated this request last month when he expressed support for Harris over Trump in the upcoming November elections, cheekily remarking on Harris’s “infectious laughter.”
This verbal sparring prompted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to assert that Putin often speaks “in jest” in public statements.
Furthermore, according to excerpts published in The Washington Post and The New York Times from Woodward’s book, President Biden privately criticized several foreign leaders, including calling Putin “the personification of evil.”
