Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin would prefer that the U.S. elect a president in 2024 who is "more constructive" toward Russia and "understands the importance of the dialogue."
But Peskov wouldn't comment, during an interview with NBC News, whether President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner in the race, would meet Putin's call for "anyone who will understand that from now on, you have to be more careful with Russia" and take its concerns into account.
Peskov's comments came after he was asked if Putin could work with Trump, who while in office commended the Russian president for his style of leadership.
Recently, Trump said he appreciates Putin's praise for his plans to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours if Trump is reelected.
Peskov, though, questioned Trump's claims that he could quickly end the war, telling NBC that the war is "too complicated" for an easy ending.
Peskov also accused the U.S. and Western allies of prolonging the war in Ukraine with military and financial support, saying they are throwing billions of dollars "into the wind" without achieving wins on the battlefield.
"You have to understand your responsibility for this," Peskov said. "You are making this conflict longer.”
Peskov also accused the U.S. of prolonging the war by misleading Kyiv into believing it was receiving vital support.
Earlier this week, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington, D.C., but was not able to secure a new $61 billion package, which is gridlocked after Senate Republicans refused to approve Biden's funding package without adding border policy changes.
"You are telling them — go and die," Peskov said. "'Don't worry, we will give you enough money and enough armaments, but you should go and die.' And you know pretty well that they cannot win."
Biden had initially promised to stick by Ukraine as long as necessary, with the U.S. being the country's largest backer and providing billions of dollars worth of assistance since the Russian invasion.
Biden told Zelenskyy this week that the U.S. will continue to provide weapons and equipment.
Ukraine took another blow Thursday when the European Union agreed to start holding accession talks with Ukraine but couldn't agree on a $55 billion financial aid package after Hungary opposed the measure.
Peskov also said in the interview that the world is "less safe than it used to be" before the invasion, as communications stopped between Washington and Moscow after Ukraine was invaded.
The Kremlin still calls the hostilities with Ukraine a "special military operation" and has criminalized calling the invasion a war.
Peskov said the West is waging a war against Russia, as there is "direct" involvement of foreign countries in the conflict and as the West has imposed economic sanctions against his country.
"If it's not a war, then how would you like to call it? We call it war," Peskov said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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