MOSCOW. March 18 (Interfax) - The Kremlin disagrees with but is not surprised by the United States' statements describing the presidential election in Russia as not free, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"We categorically disagree with this assessment. Speaking to journalists last night, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said such assessments were quite expectable and predictable, considering that the U.S. is a country de facto deeply involved in the war in Ukraine, and this is a country that is actually de facto fighting us," Peskov told journalists when asked to comment on relevant statements from the U.S. on Monday.
"It was hardly reasonable to expect other assessments, although we categorically disagree with them, and this is perhaps not an opinion which we are willing to heed and which is important to us now," he said.