Putin's Spokesperson Criticizes Harris and Trump's References to Russia in 2024 Debate

Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, expressed concern over the frequent references to President Putin by Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump during their first debate as candidates in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. He stated that the name Putin is being used as a tool in the domestic political struggle of the United States and hoped that they would leave President Putin alone.

Peskov's neutral tone and criticism of US political stance

Peskov maintained a seemingly neutral tone on the American political duel, despite his boss's recent endorsement of Kamala Harris and the USA's overall negative attitude towards Russia. He criticized the US for using President Putin's name in their political struggle.

Trump and Putin's relationship

Donald Trump has previously made admiring comments about Putin, including labeling Putin's tactics in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as genius and very savvy. On the other hand, the former US leader has not shown the same warmth towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Biden administration, along with its European allies and Zelenskyy himself, are concerned that a victory in Ukraine would embolden Putin to move against other Western-allied democracies in Europe.

US support for Ukraine

President Biden and his top officials played a key role in rallying international support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia since before the Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The US urged its allies into action by pointing to declassified intelligence showing Russian preparations for the invasion.

Trump's debate response on Ukraine

During the presidential debate, Donald Trump expressed his desire for the war in Ukraine to end but did not directly answer a question about whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war. He focused on wanting to save lives and getting the war finished.

False claims and concerns about Trump's stance on Ukraine

Trump falsely claimed that the war had killed "millions" of people, while the United Nations reported 11,700 verified civilian deaths. His comments raise concerns among Ukraine and its supporters that Trump potentially pressuring Kyiv to sign a peace deal with Russia could put the country's territory and sovereignty at risk, an idea firmly rejected by Zelenskyy.

Harris' response and the timing of her mission

Kamala Harris countered Trump's claims by stating that Trump's assertion that the war would end within 24 hours would imply yielding to Putin. She accused him of being in what Trump perceives as a friendship with "a dictator who would eat you for lunch." Further, she rejected Trump's attempt to link her mission to Germany preceding the and the invasion by stating that Putin wasn't present at the conference.