By the Associated Press

The question asked Vladimir Putin in September about the US election drew a wry smile and an arched eyebrow from the Russian president.

Asked if he preferred Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, Putin drew listeners in with his teasing response, which also included a gentle jab at President Joe Biden.

“Our favorite, if you can call it that, was the current president, Mr. Biden,” he told an audience at an economic forum in the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok.

“But he was removed from the race and advised all his supporters to support Ms Harris. Well, that’s what we’re going to do — we’re going to support her,” he said sardonically, citing her “expressive and infectious laugh” that shows she’s “doing well.”

Tuesday’s election has significant stakes for the Kremlin and, despite Putin’s non-committal and somewhat teasing response, appeared to encapsulate Russia’s vision as a choice between two unappealing possibilities.

Analysts say neither offers much promise of improving relations that have hit their lowest point since the Cold War.

Harris, the current vice president, has taken a hard line against Russia, while Trump, the former president, is known for his admiration for Putin. Still, at the September gathering, Putin complained that when Trump was in office, there were “so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia that no other president has ever introduced before him.”

Timothy Colton of the Harvard Academy of International and Area Studies said the Kremlin leadership is “generally convinced that nothing good will come of the election from Russia’s point of view.”

But he added that overall Trump “is probably their preference; he’s more of a known quantity.”

Key issues for Russia as the US election approaches:

What will happen to the aid to Ukraine?

Harris is seen as likely to continue the Biden administration’s massive military and economic support for Ukraine invasion of Russia extends to the third year.

Trump has boasted that his relationship with Putin and respect from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi are so strong that he could negotiate an end to the war “within 24 hours”. He declines to elaborate on his strategy, but recent remarks criticizing sanctions in general suggest he may lift those against Russia as an incentive to help resolve the conflict.

During their debate, Trump twice refused to answer directly if he wanted Ukraine to win the war, while Harris praised Western support for Kiev and urged it to continue.

“Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kiev with his eyes on the rest of Europe. Starting with Poland,” she said.