According to Odaily, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that President Vladimir Putin's remark about supporting Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the upcoming US presidential election was made in jest. This comment from Putin led the White House to urge him to refrain from making further statements about the November 5 election.

When questioned about the potential impact of the US presidential transition on Russia's foreign policy, Lavrov responded, 'It was a joke. President Putin has a good sense of humor. He often jokes during speeches and interviews.'