Putin hits back at US for criticising Russian poll process

Moscow, March 18 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday hit back at the US for criticising his country's presidential election process.

The Russian leader reportedly accused the US of using all its administrative resources to suppress one of the American presidential candidates, apparently referring to Republican frontrunner and former President Donald Trump, who is facing a litany of lawsuits.

Putin made the statement while speaking to journalists in Moscow on Monday after the preliminary results indicated his victory with over 87 per cent of the vote in the country's presidential elections.

The Russian leader said that the "whole world is laughing at what is happening" in the US, RT reported.

"We are behaving with more restraint than their opponents in other countries, but this is just a catastrophe, not a democracy – that's what it is," Putin was quoted as saying.