Russian President Vladimir Putin openly expressed his preference for President Biden over former President Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. election.
In a televised interview with Russian state media, Putin described Biden as “more experienced” and “predictable,” a departure from his previous praise of Trump. He stated, “I believe that President Biden is a politician of the old school,” adding that Moscow would cooperate with any elected U.S. leader.
The White House National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, swiftly responded, asserting, “Mr. Putin should just stay out of our elections.” Meanwhile, Trump seized on Putin’s remarks during a campaign rally, stating, “So Putin is not a fan of mine.”
The endorsement comes against the backdrop of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, which has strained relations between Moscow and the West. Despite Putin’s apparent preference for Biden, analysts remain cautious about the motives behind his statement.
Abbas Gallyamov, a former Putin speechwriter, noted, “He could also be trying to help Trump in a way by showing that he is tough on Russia.” Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center senior fellow Andrei Kolesnikov added, “It’s both a typical KGB-style debunking that has nothing to do with real politics at all, and trolling under the cover of serious reasoning.”
