Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has ridiculed US Vice President Kamala Harris’ pre-election claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “eat” President-elect Donald Trump for lunch.
Harris criticized Trump’s ideas about ending the Ukraine conflict during a presidential debate on ABC News in September, claiming that the Republican would simply abandon support for Kiev to gain favor with Putin.
The Russian leader “would eat you for lunch,” Harris told Trump.
Peskov was asked to comment on her statement at the 21st annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday.
“Putin doesn’t eat people,” the spokesman said with a smile.
Trump repeatedly claimed that he would end the Ukraine conflict within a day of being elected during his campaign. Moscow has expressed skepticism that there is any “magic” solution to end the hostilities overnight.
Speaking at the Valdai Club on Thursday, Putin congratulated Trump on securing victory in the US election. He added that Trump’s statements regarding peace in Ukraine “deserve attention at the very least.”
Putin also indicated that he is open to receiving a phone call from Trump, adding that it “wouldn’t be beneath me to call him myself.”
Trump stated on Thursday that he has not yet spoken with Putin but expects they will likely communicate in the near future.
Moscow has not ruled out negotiations with Kiev but insists that Ukraine must acknowledge the “reality on the ground” that it will never regain control of the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye, as well as Crimea, all of which held referendums to join Russia. Moscow also insists that it will continue with its military operation until all of the goals are achieved, including a demilitarized, denazified, and neutral Ukraine.