MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow is disturbed that Russia is being used as a “ritual sacrifice” by US presidential candidates during their campaigns or debates so as not to disrupt bilateral relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
“In regard to the statements by a US presidential candidate, the Russian side has emphasized several times that we don’t want our country or bilateral relations between Russia and the United States to be sacrificed in election campaigns, or to be used in some sort of ritual sacrifice during debates. Here we can only express regret,” Peskov told journalists in regard to Jeb Bush’s statement about Russia.
On Sunday, Bush accused Putin of supplanting the United States by expanding Russia's influence globally, calling him a "dictator" and "bully."
In contrast, party frontrunner Donald Trump has made overtures toward Putin in the last Republican debate and again last week after Putin called him an "absolute leader" in the race at the December 17 press conference.
US voters go the polls on November 8, 2016, to elect their next president.
