A few months before the American presidential election, the Kremlin already has its opinion on the future tenant of the White House.
Vladimir Putin assured Wednesday that his American counterpart Joe Biden was more “predictable” for Moscow than his probable rival Donald Trump, but that Moscow was ready to “work” with the winner of the vote in the United States whoever he was.
Asked by a journalist which president would be better for Russia, before the election to be held in November, the Russian president replied: “Biden is a more experienced person.
He is predictable, he is an old-fashioned politician,” even though Donald Trump has been accused in recent years of playing into the hands of Russia.
The Russian president, however, refused to comment on the debates in the United States on the age of the Democratic candidate.
“When I met Joe Biden in Switzerland, it was three years ago it’s true, we were already talking about his incapacity, but I saw nothing of the sort,” he said.
“Yes, he looked at his notes, and to be honest, I looked at mine.
Nothing serious,” he continued, quoted by The Financial Times.
“Extremely harmful and erroneous” policy
The Kremlin leader called for more focus on “the political position and the position of the current (US) administration” towards Russia, which he deemed “extremely harmful and wrong”.
But whatever the outcome of the vote, Moscow “will work with any American leader in whom the American people have confidence,” he said.
The presidential campaign in the United States was shaken last week by devastating comments from a magistrate on the failing memory of the 81-year-old American president.
A finding rejected by his camp.
As for Donald Trump, favorite in the Republican primaries and therefore likely competitor to Joe Biden, he has been accused of favoring Moscow in recent years.
In Congress, $60 billion in financial aid to Ukraine is being blocked by his lieutenants.
In recent days, the former Republican head of state has also aroused European indignation by recently threatening to encourage Russia to attack NATO countries whose defense spending he considered insufficient.
Also read “Idiot”, “unworthy” and “anti-American”: Joe Biden denounces Donald Trump’s exit from NATO
In his speech on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin seemed to prove him right.
“There is no logic from the point of view of the Europeans, who want the United States to continue to perform certain functions for free, as they have done since the creation of NATO,” he accused. .
Before continuing: “If the United States thinks that it no longer needs NATO, that is their decision”, the probable candidate of the American right having “his own ideas on the way in which relations between the United States and its allies should evolve.”
Donald Trump reacted to these comments during a meeting in South Carolina on Wednesday evening, calling them “a great compliment”, without really explaining why.
“I got along well with (Vladimir Putin), but he doesn’t want me, he wants Biden,” he said, assuring that the Democratic leader “would offer Ukraine” to the Russian president.