Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he did not expect any change in the Russian-American relationship, whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump is elected president of the United States in November.
“Overall, there is no difference for us,” Vladimir Putin said in an interview with foreign news agencies, including AFP, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg economic forum.
“We do not think that after the election anything will change in relation to Russia and in American politics,” the Russian president continued.
He considered it “ridiculous” to consider Donald Trump as a candidate more inclined to be benevolent towards Moscow.
Mr. Putin also considered that the legal troubles of Mr. Trump, convicted of criminal charges, were the result of an “internal political struggle” between Democrats and Republicans before the American presidential election in November.
“It is obvious around the world that the prosecution of Trump, especially in court on charges that developed based on events that took place years ago, without direct evidence, is simply the use of the judicial system as part of an internal political struggle,” he said.
He finally estimated that Joe Biden’s administration was “making one mistake after another” in international and domestic politics.
“With what is happening [aux États-Unis] as part of the internal political struggle, they are burning themselves from within, their state, their political system […] burn their supposed leadership in the field of democracy at the roots,” Mr. Putin further assured.
Donald Trump has, in the past, expressed his admiration for Vladimir Putin.
On the campaign trail, he continues to criticize NATO, which has supported kyiv against the Russian army for more than two years, and has repeatedly boasted that he could end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine if it is elected.
Mr. Putin had previously assured that he preferred to see Joe Biden stay in the White House because the latter was more “predictable” for Moscow.