Updated 00.59 | Published 00.58
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Putin was asked which American president would be best for Russia.
Then he chose Biden:
– He is a politician of the old school.
Vladimir Putin was interviewed on Russian state television on Wednesday. One of the questions concerned the presidential election in the United States in November: Who would be best for Russia out of Joe Biden and Donald Trump?
– Biden is a more experienced and predictable person. He is a politician of the old school. But we will work with any American leader who has the confidence of the people, he said according to Politico’s translation.
Addressed the 2021 meeting
Putin was also asked how he reasons about the reporting on Biden’s mental health. Then he took the American president to the defense and referred to their last meeting in Geneva in 2021.
– I met Biden in Switzerland, it was three years ago. Even then they said he was incompetent. I didn’t see anything like that. Okay, well, he looked at his paper, I looked at mine. Nothing, Putin said according to the independent Russian newspaper Meduza.
He continued to bring up the moment when Biden hit his head when he got out of his helicopter last summer. The incident occurred a few hours after Biden fell on the stairs of the presidential plane Air Force One.
– Who among us has not hit our head on something? Putin said according to the Financial Times.
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Vladimir Putin during Wednesday’s hearing.
1 / 2Photo: Kristina Kormilitsyna / AP
Trump’s threat to NATO
Putin did add that he sees the US’s current policy as “extremely harmful and wrong”. But his positive words about Biden’s person can be seen as surprising. The news agency Reuters notes that they will rather be perceived as some kind of rascal than serious.
Several American investigations has established that Russia tried to influence the US presidential election in Trump’s favor when he was elected in 2016.
In recent weeks, Trump has on several occasions called on his Republican party colleagues in Congress to stop a new military aid package to Ukraine.
He has also continued to make critical statements about NATO. As recently as Saturday, he said he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” with member states that don’t spend enough money on the military.
On Wednesday, new information emerged about Trump’s plan for NATO and the Ukraine war if he wins the presidential election.
According to Bloomberg Trump’s advisers are discussing a requirement where the mutual defense guarantees should only apply to NATO countries that pay enough. How much is not mentioned, but during his years as president, Trump demanded that the level exceed two percent of GDP.
Putin: “Their problem”
Bloomberg also states that Trump is considering forcing Ukraine and Russia into peace negotiations early on after a possible election win.
In the Russian TV interview, Putin addressed Trump’s views on NATO.
– He wanted to get the Europeans to increase their defense spending or, as he said, to make them pay for opening the nuclear umbrella over their heads. I don’t know, let them figure it out themselves. That’s their problem, he said according to state-controlled Ria.
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fullscreenJoe Biden. Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP