MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said a victory for Joe Biden in the US presidential election set to take place in November would be the best possible outcome for Russia, reported dpa news.
In an interview for Russian television, excerpts of which were published by the Kremlin on Wednesday, Putin criticised the US government.
“I think that the attitude of the current administration is extremely harmful and wrong,“ he said. The two major nuclear powers are at loggerheads on almost all international issues, but above all because of the Russian war against Ukraine.
Nevertheless, a victory for Biden would be preferable, Putin said.
“He is more experienced and more predictable. He is an ‘old school’ politician,“ the Russian leader said. “But we will work with any US leader, elected by the people of America.”
Putin, 71, also defended the 81-year-old Biden against speculation that he was no longer healthy enough for his office. At a summit meeting in Switzerland in 2021, it had already been rumoured that Biden was no longer fit to act, Putin said.
“I have seen nothing of the sort.”
Putin’s comments are at odds with Russia’s policy in recent years, which has favoured Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the November election, prides himself on his allegedly good relationship with Putin.
In the interview, the Russian president addressed Trump’s much-criticised statement that he would not provide US support to NATO allies with low defence spending in the event of a Russian attack.
Trump has his view of how the relationship between the US and its allies should develop, Putin said. The only illogical thing about this is the attitude of the Europeans.
“They want the US to continue to protect them for nothing,“ Putin said.
The US election in November is shaping up for a repeat of the 2020 duel between Biden and Trump. - Bernama, dpa
