Russian President Vladimir Putin has stirred controversy by showing a preference for a Joe Biden presidency over former President Donald Trump, saying that Biden is a "more experienced, predictable person". The unexpected endorsement comes as Biden has been a vocal critic of Putin's leadership and policies, especially regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Putin's comments, made in an on-camera interview with Russian TV, in contrast to his previous praise of Trump as "outstanding and talented" before the 2016 US election. Despite Biden's criticism of Putin as a "killer" and a "murderous dictator," the Russian president mentioned Biden's experience and predictability as factors favoring his leadership.
However, Putin's endorsement of Biden is not without its caveats. While he acknowledged Biden's competence and dismissed concerns about his age and mental health, Putin condemn Biden's criticism of the war in Ukraine as "extremely harmful and erroneous." This highlights that despite preferring Biden over Trump, Putin still has reservations about Biden's foreign policy stance, particularly regarding Russia-Ukraine relations.
The endorsement also represents the complicated dynamics of US-Russian relations and the role of personal rapport between leaders. While Trump had famously conveyed that he and Putin would "get along very well," Biden's approach to Russia has been more confrontational, prompting Western responses to Russian aggression and imposing tough economic sanctions.
Trump, however, has often been complimentary of Putin and praised him as a tough leader. A Senate intelligence report discovered "extensive" Russian interference in the 2016 election that Trump won.
Trump's recent comments suggesting that he would "encourage" Russia to attack any NATO member failing to meet defense spending targets have raised concerns among NATO allies and prompted a rebuke from NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
In response to Putin's statement, on Thursday morning White House spokesperson Andrew Bates stated, "Mr. Putin should stay out of America's elections."
