Putin says Russia prefers Biden to Trump because he is ‘more experienced and predictable’

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia would prefer to see President Joe Biden win a second term, describing him as more experienced than Donald Trump

Speaking in an interview with a correspondent from Russian state television, Putin declared that he will work with any US leader who is elected, but noted that he would prefer Biden’s victory when asked who would be a better choice from the point of view of Russia.

“Biden, he’s more experienced, more predictable, he’s a politician of the old formation,” Putin said. “But we will work with any U.S. leader whom the American people trust.” Putin’s comments were his first about the upcoming US presidential election, likely to pit Biden against Trump, and come as tensions between Republicans and Democrats are high over Biden’s attempts to send more military aid to Kyiv.

However, Trump’s recent statements calling into question U.S. funding for Ukraine and saying he wants to shake up the NATO alliance could better serve Putin. Biden accused Trump on Tuesday of having “bowed down to a Russian dictator.” Asked about speculation on Biden’s health issues, Putin responded that “I’m not a doctor and I don’t consider it proper to comment on that.”

Biden’s team worked to alleviate Democratic concerns over alarms raised by a special counsel about Biden’s age and memory. They came in a report determining that Biden would not be charged with any criminal activity for possessing classified documents after he left office. Putin noted that the talk about Biden’s health comes as “the election campaign is gaining speed in the U.S., and it’s taking an increasingly sharp course.”