The Russian president said on Wednesday that relations between Moscow and Washington would remain “bad” regardless of the outcome of midterm elections in the United States, amid a crisis linked to the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
“These elections cannot fundamentally change anything. Our relations are bad now and will remain so,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
“These elections are important, but on the other hand, I would not be wrong to say that their importance for the future of our bilateral relations in the short and medium term should not be overestimated,” he said.
In recent years, the Kremlin has been accused of encouraging meddling in elections in the United States, particularly through influence campaigns on social networks.
“We are so used to (these accusations) that we no longer pay attention to them,” Dmitry Peskov commented on Wednesday.
Russian-American relations are heading for one of the worst crises in their history with the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine, a country that has since been largely supported by the administration of Democratic US President Joe Biden with arms deliveries and financial aid.
Republican hopes of a “tide” in the US Congress appeared to recede on Wednesday, as Democrats hope to limit damage in midterm elections that are as crucial to Democratic President Joe Biden’s political future as his Republican predecessor and rival. Donald Trump.
The latter, during his time in the White House (2017-2021), was more amenable to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin than Joe Biden.
If Republicans win majorities in both houses of Congress in the midterm elections, Joe Biden’s foreign policy could enter a turbulent period, although a complete reversal on Ukraine is unlikely.
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