Russia sees Democratic US presidential candidate Kamala Harris as a more predictable opponent than Republican Donald Trump, although in any case there is no prospect of improving relations with Washington, the spokesman said of Kremlin Dmitry Peskov, quoted by "Reuters".
In an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a television reporter with preferred access to the Kremlin, Peskov also appeared dismissive of Trump's boast that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours if American voters returned him to the White House.
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Before Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the November election and endorsed Harris, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow preferred Biden to Trump, describing the former as a seasoned "old school" politician.
After Biden did not run, Zarubin asked Peskov, laughing: "So who is our candidate now?"
Peskov, also laughing, answered: "We have no candidate. But of course the Democrats are more predictable. And what Putin said about Biden's predictability applies to almost all Democrats, including Ms. Harris."
While saying the election was an internal US matter, Putin and Peskov offered different opinions at different times. In February, for example, Putin praised Biden for his predictability, but also broached the sensitive subject of his mental fitness for office in comments that seemed designed to stir up mischief.
In June, he said Russia doesn't care who the next US president is, but the US justice system is clearly being used in a political battle against Trump.
Peskov, in the interview published on Sunday, said that US steps to "trample the interests of our country" have exceeded the permissible limits. Bilateral relations were at a historic low point, with "no prospects" currently to direct them to recovery.
The Kremlin spokesman said there is no "magic wand" to resolve the crisis in Ukraine overnight in the way Trump has promised.
He said it was a "fantasy" imagine that the next US president will announce in his inaugural address that Washington is suspending military aid to Ukraine and calling for peace talks, and that this will change attitudes in Kiev.