2024-07-30 00:06:24
For the Russian elite close to Putin and the Kremlin, the sudden election of Kamala Harris as a candidate for US president was a significant blow. Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the election has already given Vice President Kamala Harris points and turned the tide of the election race.
About it writes The Washington Post.
The Kremlin believed that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump could have won if Biden had remained in the race. Then, given Donald Trump’s position on the war in Ukraine, his candidacy would have been extremely advantageous for the Kremlin. However, Kamala Harris has significantly gained votes and support from the electorate in recent days, which will be a huge disappointment for Putin’s inner circle. This opinion was expressed by Tatyana Stanova, founder of the Russian political consulting company R.Politik, now based in France. According to her, if Harris came to power, “all windows of opportunity will close tightly.”
Trump is a gift for Russia
At the same time, Donald Trump’s position and attitude toward Ukraine are a real “gift” for the Kremlin. It is also worth noting that Trump is truly “fascinated” by authoritarian rulers like Vladimir Putin. Trump’s exaggerated boasts that he can end the war in Ukraine in one day suggested that he could force Kyiv to surrender its territory.
And although Joe Biden has sent Ukraine huge military and financial aid, Russian foreign policymakers still know what to expect from the current president and calculate his actions in advance. Thus, the Kremlin’s opinion of Biden boils down to this denominator: a strong politician who did not dare to escalate military action and is aware of Russia’s military might.
But Kamala Harris is a “dark horse” for Russians and it is unknown what to expect from her.
Elections in Europe – a disappointment for the Kremlin
The publication adds that Biden’s refusal to participate in the elections was already the second unpleasant surprise for Russia in Western politics. We are talking about the defeat in the French parliamentary elections of the far-right National Rally party, which Moscow supported as a political ally.
Earlier, Cursor reported that, according to the media, Kamala Harris is harming the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.