“It is insufficient to say that the Kremlin took its side [of supporting Trump]. If Trump becomes president, Russia will get a serious gain. Trump, a big fan of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, will rush to lift sanctions against Russia and to recognize the annexation of Crimea,” Charlie Hebdo journalists wrote in their article accompanied by cartoons depicting Putin and Trump together.
During his election campaign, the Republican candidate has expressed willingness to have good relations with Russia. Moscow, in turn, has repeatedly stated that it will not interfere in the election campaign and will work with the candidate chosen by the US voters.
Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014, after an overwhelming majority of voters supported the historic reunification in a referendum.
Charlie Hebdo magazine became famous after two Islamist gunmen had burst into the editorial office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on January 7, 2015, and opened fire for publishing controversial caricatures of religious figures. A total of 12 people were killed in the massacre.