Russia calls US proposal to stop Putin recognition in 2024 as ‘absurd’

Name: Biden tells Putin to try to establish ‘rational way’ to disagree
Uploaded: 2021-11-19T12:55:44.000Z
Duration: 1 min 22 s
Description: Biden tells Putin to try to establish ‘rational way’ to disagree

Putin’s time in office is due to end in 2024 and he can seek two more terms under constitutional amendments made during his presidency

But a resolution proposed by two US lawmakers said the changes were illegal, prompting a rebuke from Moscow

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Reuters

Published: 8:55pm, 19 Nov 2021Updated: 8:55pm, 19 Nov 2021

The Kremlin denounced as “absurd” on Friday a resolution proposed by US lawmakers to stop recognising Vladimir Putin as Russia’s president if he stays in power after 2024, and described it as Washington meddling in Moscow’s affairs.

Putin’s term as president is due to end in 2024 and he can seek two more terms under constitutional amendments made during his presidency. Under the previous constitutional limits, he would have been barred from running again.

The resolution introduced by two US congressmen says the amendments were illegal and any attempt by Putin to remain in office after May 2024 “shall warrant nonrecognition on the part of the United States,” according to a statement on the website of Congressman Steve Cohen, one of the lawmakers behind it.

“Every time we think there is nothing more absurd, aggressive, unfriendly and unconstructive that can come from that side of the ocean, and every time we are wrong unfortunately,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“This is a perfect demonstration not only to Russia, but to all the countries of the world that the United States officially interferes in the internal affairs of other countries.”

Peskov said it was up to Russians to choose their president, and that Russian lawmakers were likely to retaliate.

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Biden tells Putin to try to establish ‘rational way’ to disagree

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, said the resolution was “a provocation designed to disrupt the nascent normalisation of bilateral relations.”