(ConservativeInsider.org) – In his first comments about the upcoming 2024 presidential election, Russian president Vladimir Putin said his hope is for a Biden victory over former president Trump.
In an interview on Russia-1 on Feb. 14, host Pavel Zarubin asked Putin which candidate was better for Russians. Putin said that Biden has more political experience and is a more “predictable person.” One translation of Putin’s comments has him describing Biden as “old school.” Putin added that he is willing to work with any leader selected by the American people.
Ironically, a common criticism of Trump during his time in office was that he was too favorable towards Putin, with many going so far as to suggest that Putin helped rig the election in Trump’s favor. This has led to skepticism of Putin’s remarks by some.
Biden does not appear to be thrilled about the Russian president’s endorsement. When John Kirby, U.S. national security spokesman, was asked how the White House felt about Putin’s endorsement, Kirby replied that Putin should “stay out of our elections,” referring to the belief that the Kremlin ran covert campaigns in an attempt to tip previous presidential elections in Trump’s favor. Kirby added that Putin is aware of the Biden administration’s efforts to work against “Russia’s malign influence.”
Trump, on the other hand, brought up Putin’s comments during a rally in South Carolina and called it a compliment. Trump claimed that people have offered him condolences that Putin didn’t endorse him, but Trump said it’s “actually a very good thing.” The former president explained that Putin likes Biden because Biden will be giving Ukraine to Russia. He added that Putin is no longer a fan of his after Trump approved sanctions against companies working on the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in 2019.
Putin’s remarks follow recent comments from Trump that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever… they want” to NATO countries that don’t spend enough on national defense.
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