Russia rejects ‘absurd’ claims of meddling in US election

Moscow — The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed as absurd US intelligence assertions that Russia is seeking to meddle in the presidential election and said that US spies were intent on casting Russia as an enemy.

US intelligence said that Russia remained the “predominant threat” to US elections and that Moscow was using a complex arsenal of tools to back one of the candidates and sow divisions.

“As for these accusations, they are absurd, and we strongly reject them,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the reports from Washington.

“There will be a lot of such statements as the US elections approach because Russia and the head of the Russian state personally are essentially significant factors that both Republicans and Democrats exploit during their political struggle, especially in the election campaign,” said Peskov.

President Vladimir Putin had yet to comment in public on Joe Biden’s exit from the election race.

Putin had suggested in the past that, for Russia, Biden was preferable to Donald Trump, though it was unclear if he was being serious or sarcastic.

The Kremlin has been cautious about Kamala Harris, saying that the vice-president had made no discernible contribution to relations with Moscow beyond some unfriendly rhetoric.

Comments by a senior US intelligence official indicated that US intelligence expects foreign actors to refocus their influence operations on Harris.

“Moscow is leveraging Russia-based influence-for-hire firms to shape public opinion in the US, including with election-related operations,” the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said.

“These firms have created influence platforms, directly and discreetly engaged Americans, and used improved tools to tailor content for US audiences, while hiding Russia’s hand.”

The Kremlin said attempting to draw Russia into the election campaign was damaging to relations — and that US intelligence was intent on casting Russia as an enemy.

“Each time the exploitation of Russia and Putin in the internal political struggle in America causes more and more harm, irreparable harm to bilateral Russian-American relations,” Peskov said.

Previous US intelligence assessments have found that Moscow tried to meddle in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Russian officials have suggested that the US has also meddled in its domestic affairs.

Reuters