In an interview broadcast on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Joe Biden would be a better US president than Donald Trump ahead of the US election this November.
Putin also dismissed concerns over his counterpart's age and understanding of the role.
Putin Prefers Biden Over Trump
Interviewer Pavel Zarubin questioned Putin about who was "better for us" out of Biden, a Democrat, and Trump, a Republican.
Without hesitation, Putin replied that Biden is a more experienced, predictable person, a politician of the old school. He added, smiling slightly, that they would work with any US president in whom the American people have confidence.
It was Putin's first time speaking out about the 2024 US election, which will likely pit Biden and Trump against one another a second time.
His remarks were more likely to be interpreted as mischievous than taken seriously during intense political unpredictability in the US and the lowest point in bilateral ties in over 60 years.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Biden has led the West in expanding NATO, imposing several rounds of sanctions on Moscow and giving billions of dollars worth of aid and armaments to Kyiv.
Many of Trump's detractors think he would give the Kremlin leader a much easier ride because of his reluctance to criticize Putin during his first term. His recent remarks include an interview from the weekend in which he stated he would encourage Russia to attack NATO members who failed to spend enough on their defense.
Putin said it would be unethical to meddle in the campaign. However, he allowed himself to express opinions about the two candidates and even addressed Biden's mental health.
"When I met with Biden in Switzerland - true, that was several years, three years ago - people were already saying he wasn't up to it. I didn't see anything of the kind," Putin said.
He brought up an incident that humiliated the US president when he struck his head while stepping out of a helicopter in June last year, even though it seemed like he was defending Biden.
Despite being 71, six years younger than Trump and ten years younger than Biden, Putin has held the position of president or prime minister since 1999.
In an election next month, he is almost sure to win a second six-year term, as two candidates who opposed the conflict in Ukraine were eliminated for submitting invalid documents.
The US Senate Intelligence Committee discovered in 2020 that Russia attempted to sway the 2016 US presidential election in favor of Trump, who prevailed over Hillary Clinton.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with US President Joe Biden before the US-Russia summit at the Villa La Grange, in Geneva on June 16, 2021.
Trump Responds To Putin's Comments
Former President Donald Trump claimed it was a 'compliment' for him when Putin said he would prefer his opponent, Biden, to win in November.
On Wednesday night at a campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, Trump addressed the crowd and declared that if he wins his reelection bid, he will do 'amazing' things, like ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine "very quickly."
Trump continued that Putin had just given him a great compliment. He said, "A lot of people said, 'Oh, gee, that's too bad.' No, no, that's a good thing."
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