President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia would prefer to see Joe Biden win a second term as US President, describing him as more experienced and predictable than Donald Trump. In an interview with Russian state television, Putin’s comments about the upcoming US presidential election were seen as rare praise for Biden, who has been a vocal critic of the Russian leader. Despite their differences, Putin stated that Russia would work with any US leader trusted by the American people. The motives behind Putin’s statement remain unclear. Trump, on the other hand, immediately used Putin’s comments to his advantage and hailed them as a ‘great compliment’ during a campaign rally.
Putin’s preference for Biden came as a surprise given his history of praising Trump. US intelligence agencies have previously concluded that Putin ordered a covert campaign to influence the 2016 US election in favor of Trump. However, both leaders have dismissed these findings. While endorsing Biden, Putin also criticized the White House’s policy toward Russia, describing it as ‘badly flawed and wrong.’ This comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, as well as disagreements within the US on how to effectively counter Russia’s actions and support Ukraine.
Putin has defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by claiming it was necessary to protect Russian speakers and prevent a threat to Russia’s security posed by Ukraine’s bid to join the NATO alliance. Ukraine and its Western allies have condemned Russia’s actions as unprovoked aggression. In response, several NATO countries, including the US under Biden’s leadership, have provided military aid to Ukraine to fend off Russian forces. In contrast, Trump has questioned US funding for Ukraine and suggested that he would allow Russia to act freely against NATO member nations that do not invest in their defense.
Trump’s statement regarding NATO member nations sent shockwaves through Europe, where there are concerns about the US reducing its role in the alliance. Biden, in contrast, has pledged to defend every inch of NATO territory and accused Trump of bowing down to the Russian leader. Putin noted that Trump’s views on NATO are consistent with his approach during his presidency, despite disagreements from European leaders. He described NATO as a ‘US foreign policy tool’ and asserted that it is up to the US to decide its future relevance.
When asked about Biden’s health, Putin refused to comment, stating that he is not a doctor. He did mention that Biden appeared to be in good shape when they met in Switzerland in June 2021. Biden’s team has sought to address concerns about his age and memory, particularly raised in a report that cleared him of any criminal activity related to possessing classified documents as a private citizen.
In another part of the interview, Putin expressed surprise at the lack of aggression from former Fox News host Tucker Carlson during their recent interview. Putin had expected more aggressive questioning that would allow him to respond sharply. During the interview, Putin focused on promoting his narrative regarding the fighting in Ukraine and emphasized the need for the US to recognize Russia’s interests and for Ukraine to engage in talks. However, Carlson did not question Putin about the war crimes Russian troops have been accused of in Ukraine or his crackdown on dissent.
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