Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russian President Vladimir Putin was joking when he said Russia was backing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the November U.S. presidential election. Putin's comments prompted the White House to say Putin should stop commenting on the November 5 election.

When asked how much impact the change of the US president would have on Russia's foreign policy, Lavrov said: "This is a joke. President Putin has a good sense of humor. He often jokes in his speeches and interviews." (Jin Shi) #BTC