Putin expresses support for Harris over Trump and indicates readiness for negotiations with Ukraine.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to support Vice President Kamala Harris as a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential race against former President Donald Trump.

Reports indicate that Putin was queried about his perspective on the impending U.S. election during the Eastern Economic Forum he attended in eastern Russia.

The Russian president, while appearing to smile alongside the event's moderator, stated that ultimately it was up to the American people to decide. However, he added that since President Biden has endorsed Harris, "we will also support her."

He remarked that her laughter is so vivid and contagious, indicating that she is doing well.

Biden was preferred by Putin over Trump as he is a more predictable candidate, and Putin supported him before he dropped out of the race earlier this year.

In the traditional sense, the Russians do not endorse anyone.

Putin and his regime prefer Kamala over Trump as a future U.S. president, according to Koffler, who told Planet Chronicle Digital that Putin believes he can manipulate Harris easily, unlike Trump, whom the Russians profiled as unpredictable and difficult to read.

"Koffler stated that the Russians are intentionally trying to manipulate the Harris Team through their statements, which is a typical influence operation aimed at destabilizing the adversary by mocking, teasing, and seemingly pleasing them."

Earlier this year, reports indicated that the U.S. intelligence community believed that Putin would prefer a second Trump presidency, despite Putin's apparent support for democratic candidates over Trump.

Putin's reported assessment is consistent with the actions he authorized during the 2016 and 2020 elections, when Russia was found to have interfered in the elections by running disinformation campaigns to support Trump's candidacy.

The U.S. Director of National Intelligence reported that Russian President Putin approved and various Russian government agencies carried out influence campaigns to discredit President Biden's campaign and the Democratic Party, support former President Trump, erode public trust in the electoral process, and intensify social divisions in the U.S.

Despite Putin's apparent support for Democratic candidates and their policy positions, Russia has maintained that it did not interfere in any U.S. election.

Trump has been critical of the U.S. support to Ukraine in its war against Russia since the invasion more than two and a half years ago, and his running mate, J.D. Vance, has openly stated that he doesn't care what happens to Ukraine.

NATO leaders are worried about the potential impact of a second Trump presidency on the military alliance, as he has indicated he may withdraw U.S. troops from Europe, which could destabilize the alliance and encourage Putin.

Trump has stated that he has a plan to end the war if elected, but has not disclosed any specific policy measures for achieving this goal.

Putin stated on Thursday that he was willing to participate in peace talks with Zelenskyy and said, "If Ukraine is interested in continuing negotiations, I am ready to do so."

The possibility of talks amid Ukraine's invasion into Kursk is now being considered.

Putin proposed that Brazil, India, or China could serve as mediators in the negotiations, but Ukraine is unlikely to accept this option since China has assisted Russia in its conflict.

Reuters contributed to this report.