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Kremlin slams Congressional gamble to end recognition of Putin’s presidency as US meddling

Earlier, US Congressmen Steve Cohen and Joe Wilson introduced a Congressional Resolution to the House of Representatives to end recognition of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia if he remains in office beyond the end of his current term on May 7, 2024
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, November 19. /TASS/. A draft US Congress resolution on ending Vladimir Putin’s recognition as Russia’s president if he is reelected to the post after May 7, 2024, is a perfect example of Washington’s interference in the affairs of others, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We are definitely aware [of it]. Every time, when we think that no more ridiculous, aggressive, unfriendly and unconstructive things could come from the other side of the ocean, it turns out that each time we are wrong and such things do emerge, unfortunately," Peskov noted. "This is a perfect example not only for Russia but also for all other countries, of how the United States officially interferes in the domestic affairs of other nations," the Kremlin spokesman added.

"We consider such initiatives by [those] US congressmen to be unacceptable. We view this as interference in our affairs as we firmly believe that only the Russian people have the right to decide who should be Russia’s president and when. No other country, and no lawmakers from other countries have the right to make a decision on that," Peskov stressed.

Earlier, US Congressmen Steve Cohen (Democrat, Tennessee) and Joe Wilson (Republican, South Carolina) introduced a Congressional Resolution to the House of Representatives to end recognition of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia if he remains in office beyond the end of his current term on May 7, 2024.

Resolutions by the House of Representatives and the Senate, which are passed separately by each of the chambers, are not binding and express the chamber’s recommendations. This is the way for lawmakers to state their position on various issues, while the executive branch may choose not to act on these resolutions.

More than 200 amendments were introduced to the Russian Constitution last year. One of the amendments holds that the country’s president may not serve more than two terms, with the exception that the incumbent head of state may run for the office again after the amendment takes force. The amendments took effect after they had been approved in a nationwide vote.