Just one day prior to the US Justice Department accusing two Russian media executives of engaging in an unlawful plan to influence the November election through pro-Russian propaganda, President Donald Trump made the statement.

In a playful remark on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that his country would prefer Kamala Harris to win the US presidential election in 2024.

Putin made the comment just one day after the US Justice Department charged two Russian media executives with an alleged illegal scheme to sway the November election through pro-Russian propaganda. Putin cited Harris’s “infectious” laugh as justification for Russia’s preference over former President Donald Trump.

Prior to President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the campaign earlier this year, Putin made a widely seen insincere statement expressing his preference for Biden over Trump because of the “old school” politician’s predictability.

According to US intelligence agencies, Moscow actually supports Trump since he is thought to be less dedicated to defending Ukraine from Russia.

Putin stated that the American people should ultimately choose the next president of the United States during an economic summit in the country’s far east, according to Reuters.

But he also added, jokingly, that since Biden had suggested backing Harris, Russia would do the same.

Putin complimented Harris’s chuckle, describing it as an indication of her wellbeing and possible forbearance towards Russia, he said this while grinning and the audience erupted in applause.

He made a comparison between this and the fact that Trump had placed more sanctions on Russia than any other US president.

As to the report by Reuters, Putin expressed his appreciation for the electoral decision made in the United States of America.

Although the Kremlin has always denied any meddling, US intelligence has already detected Russian attempts to aid Trump and undercut Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Founder of the Wagner mercenary outfit and late Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin boasted in 2022 of Russian meddling in US politics.

Additionally, the US Justice Department charged two employees of the Russian state broadcaster RT on Wednesday with money-laundering, alleging that they hired a US corporation to create online content intended to influence the election this year.

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, responded by saying that Moscow will go after US media.