The White House on Friday mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that he would run for re-election in 2024, with the US government suggesting there was little doubt about the outcome.
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“Well, this is about to be an epic battle, isn't it?” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said aboard Air Force One when asked about the Kremlin master's announcement.
“That’s all I have to say about it,” he added.
Vladimir Putin, 71, announced Friday that he is running for a fifth term in Russia's March 17 presidential election. His re-election leaves little doubt after almost a quarter of a century in power and the suppression of the opposition.
The Russian leader, who a 2020 constitutional revision entitles him to run again in 2024 and 2030, can theoretically stay in the Kremlin until 2036, the year he turns 84.
US President Joe Biden, whose own re-election campaign next year promises to be tough, warned earlier this week that a cut in US aid to Ukraine would be “the greatest gift” given to Vladimir Putin.
Joe Biden called on Congress to pass a new package for Kiev, warning that if the Russian president succeeds in conquering Ukraine, he “will not stop here.”