Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday mentioned Moscow would back US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Social gathering’s nominee, in presidential elections in November.
The character of Putin’s feedback suggests he was joking, or trolling the Harris marketing campaign, at a time when the US authorities beneath the Joe Biden administration has levelled new allegations that Russia is searching for to intrude within the November vote, to favour former President Donald Trump.
But no matter Putin’s motivations for the feedback on Harris, they’re the newest iteration of the Russian chief’s makes an attempt to inject Moscow into the US electoral course of.
This isn’t the primary time Putin has thrown his assist behind a US presidential candidate. Putin himself has been in Russia’s prime job since 2012. He was additionally president between 2000 and 2008.
Al Jazeera recaps twenty years of the Russian president’s tongue-in-cheek meddling in US elections.
Did Putin endorse Harris?
At an financial discussion board within the Russian Far East port of Vladivostok, Putin wryly mentioned that present President Joe Biden was his “favorite”.
Since Biden has dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, she was Putin’s subsequent greatest guess, the Russian chief teased.
He added that Harris has an “expressive and infectious chuckle”, which signifies “she’s doing properly”. The viewers broke into scatted laughter as he mentioned that if Harris is doing properly, perhaps she wouldn’t impose sanctions on Russia.
“I don’t know if I’m insulted or he did me a favour,” Republican challenger Trump responded at a marketing campaign cease on the New York Financial Membership on Thursday.
Putin’s feedback got here a day after the US Division of Justice accused Russian-owned state broadcaster RT of campaigning to sway the US vote, indicting two Russian journalists.
However this isn’t the primary time that Putin has stirred the pot of US home politics.
2004: Putin endorses Bush
In October 2004, Putin endorsed Republican incumbent President George W Bush. He mentioned that if Bush misplaced it could result in the “unfold of terrorism” globally.
Bush had been dealing with criticism from Democratic challenger John Kerry for not adequately tackling “terrorism”.
This was amid the war on Iraq which began in 2003 after the US beneath Bush invaded the nation.
Bush defeated Kerry within the 2004 race and was re-elected as president.
2008: Russia leans in direction of Obama win
Whereas Putin didn’t make a transparent endorsement within the 2008 US presidential race, consultants had been clear {that a} win for Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain was Russia’s most popular consequence.
Whereas each Obama and McCain held a harsh stance on Russia, Kremlin officers believed that beneath Obama, a newcomer on the time, US-Russia relations may begin with a clear slate not like beneath Chilly Conflict veteran McCain.
After being in workplace for 2 phrases between 2000 and 2008, Putin was constitutionally barred from assuming the position of president for a 3rd consecutive time period.
Therefore, Dmitry Medvedev rose to the highest job with Putin as his premier. Nonetheless, it was broadly believed in Russia and globally on the time that Putin continued to carry actual energy in Russia. It was mentioned that Putin and Medvedev dominated in “tandemocracy”.
Obama gained the 2008 election.
2012: Putin praises Obama
Forward of the 2012 US presidential race, during which Obama was taking up Republican challenger Mitt Romney, Putin informed Russian state media that Obama was “an trustworthy one that actually desires to vary a lot for the higher”.
Romney had deemed Russia the highest “geopolitical foe” of the US, one thing Putin mentioned Romney was “mistaken” about, throughout the identical interview.
Obama defeated Romney within the 2012 election.
2015: Putin deems Trump ‘excellent and gifted’
Forward of the 2016 US election, Putin spoke extremely of Trump throughout an annual information convention with reporters.
“He’s a vibrant and gifted particular person with none doubt,” he mentioned, including that Trump is “excellent and gifted”.
Trump was up in opposition to Democratic challenger Hilary Clinton within the election.
After Trump’s election victory, Putin mentioned Trump was a “intelligent man” who would “rapidly perceive” his position in workplace.
2016: US blames Russia for DNC leaks, election interference
In July 2016, Democratic Nationwide Committee (DNC) emails were hacked and leaked, displaying preferential remedy to Clinton, angering supporters of her main Democatic opponent Bernie Sanders.
The US authorities formally positioned the blame for the hack on Russia in a joint assertion by the Division of Homeland Safety and the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence.
Putin denied Russia’s position within the DNC hack however mentioned the leaks themselves had been necessary. “The necessary factor is the content material that was given to the general public,” he mentioned.
The US additionally accused Russia of a bigger election interference programme geared toward defeating Clinton and serving to Trump come to energy, involving troll farms that amplified messaging tailor-made in opposition to the Democrats.
2019: Putin jokes Russia will meddle in 2020 election
In October 2019, on a panel at Russian Power Week, Putin was requested if he would intrude with the 2020 US election.
“I’ll let you know a secret: Sure, we’ll undoubtedly do it. Simply don’t inform anybody,” the Russian president joked in a faux whisper.
He then mentioned his working relationship with Trump didn’t imply that he had any affect on the home politics within the US. He insisted that he didn’t intrude within the 2016 US election and that he was coping with points in his personal nation.
“We’ve our personal issues,” he mentioned.
