The Kremlin is quite irritated about the ongoing debate

The Kremlin has reacted strongly to remarks made by presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris concerning Russian President Vladimir Putin during their first debate. The Russian government urged the candidates to “leave our president’s name alone.”

The debate took place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where the two candidates discussed the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Harris challenged Trump, stating that Putin “would eat you for lunch” and suggested that if Trump were in office, the Russian leader would already be “sitting in Kyiv.”

In response to the question of Ukraine’s potential victory, Trump refrained from clearly stating his position. Instead, he emphasized his ability to facilitate a resolution between Ukraine and Russia, expressing a desire for the war to cease. “I want the war to stop,” he declared. “I want to save lives.”

Trump went on to say, “I will get it settled before I even become president,” echoing his earlier claims that he could resolve the conflict within 24 hours. Harris countered this assertion, implying that such a quick resolution would come at a grave cost, saying, “I believe the reason that Donald Trump says that this war would be over within 24 hours is because he would just give it up. And that’s not who we are as Americans.”

Harris also expressed concern about the implications of a successful Russian invasion of Ukraine, suggesting that Putin would subsequently target Poland.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, addressed the candidates’ comments, stating that while the Kremlin hadn’t monitored the debate closely, it was aware that both candidates referenced Putin and Russia. “Of course, we noticed that both candidates mentioned our president, mentioned our country,” he remarked.

Peskov described the overall U.S. stance towards Russia as unfriendly, regardless of the political party in power. He expressed discontent that Putin’s name is used as a tool in American political discussions, stating, “We really, really don’t like it, and we hope that they will leave our president’s name alone.”

This response from the Kremlin marks a significant contrast to Putin’s more lighthearted comments made last week during an economic forum. When asked about the U.S. election, Putin playfully expressed support for Harris, noting that since President Biden had encouraged his backers to support her, “we will do the same, we will support her,” according to reports by Reuters.

Putin commented on Harris’s demeanor, saying, “She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her,” hinting that her success might contribute to easing sanctions against Russia.

The Kremlin has yet to provide a direct response to requests for further comment following the debate.