Russia would like to see US Senator John Kerry replace Hillary Clinton once the US Secretary of State steps down at the start of President Barack Obama's second term, a news report said on Thursday.

US officials said on Wednesday that Mrs Clinton intended to keep her promise to leave the White House administration after the presidential ballot, despite her boss having firmly secured a new four years in office.

Speculation has been rife that Washington's top foreign policy assignment may go to either the Senate Foreign Affairs committee chairman Kerry or Washington's UN ambassador Susan Rice.

An unnamed source in the Russian foreign ministry told the Kommersant business daily that Moscow would "much prefer" to see Mr Kerry take the post.

The source said Ms Rice was viewed as "too ambitious and aggressive" in Russian diplomatic circles. The UN ambassador had fought fiercely with Moscow over its refusal to back firmer action in the Syria crisis in the past year.

"It would be more difficult for Moscow to work with Washington" if Ms Rice became Secretary of State, the unnamed Russian official said.

The source added that Moscow's only fear was that Mr Obama may choose against naming Mr Kerry because this could see the Democratic Party lose an important Senate seat.

Source: AFP