Vladivostok, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he will support Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, an apparently sarcastic remark a day after the US issued indictments accusing Moscow of vote interference.

Putin often comments on political and social issues in the US, often in a mocking way.

He said last year that the US political system was "rotten" and that Washington could not lecture other countries about democracy.

"Firstly, (US President Joe) Biden recommended all his supporters support Mrs. Harris," Putin said during a question and answer session at Russia's Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

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Biden withdrew from the race in July amid concerns about his age and health, endorsing Vice President Harris to top the Democratic Party's ticket.

"Here, we are going to do that too, we're going to support her," Putin told the audience, with a wry smile.

"She laughs so contagiously that it shows that everything is fine with her," the Russian leader said.

"(Former President Donald) Trump has imposed as many sanctions on Russia as any president has ever imposed before, and if Harris is doing well, perhaps she will refrain from such actions."

In February, Putin backed Biden over Trump, calling the current president more "predictable."

The White House called on Putin to "stay out" of US elections in response.

Trump has said he will end the Ukraine conflict within "24 hours" if he is re-elected, and has praised Putin as a "very smart cookie" who had repeatedly outsmarted the US.

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Putin said in July that he took Trump's comments about bringing a quick end to the fighting "quite seriously," and denounced the former real-estate magnate's convictions in the US as "persecution."

Putin's comments came a day after the US indicted two employees of state-run Russian news network RT and slapped sanctions on its top editors, accusing them of trying to influence the upcoming elections.