Putin chooses ‘predictable’ Biden over Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would find it happier to see U.S. President Joe Biden's victory in the upcoming presidential election this November than former U.S. President Donald Trump's return. He appeared to take Biden's side by referring to concerns over his age as a part of the U.S. presidential campaign getting increasingly vicious over time. However, many experts assume that these comments are the opposite of his thoughts.

Asked which candidate – Biden or Trump – President Putin would like to see win the U.S. presidential election in a state television interview with Russia-1 on Wednesday, he chose the incumbent U.S. leader over the former one, Reuters reported. Portraying President Biden as a more experienced, predictable and old-school leader than the competitor, he stated that Russia would cooperate with any U.S. president who earns U.S. citizens’ trust.

The Russian president shared his critical view of concerns over Biden's age and mental fitness, saying that the U.S. presidential campaign involving mudslinging and personal attacks is getting more “vicious” than ever. Recalling the Geneva Summit with President Biden in 2021, he said that although people saw him as an incompetent leader, he did not feel that way, adding that he also glanced at his notes just as Biden did, which was not a big deal at all. Talking of Biden banging his head on a helicopter when getting out of it last June, Putin asked rhetorically, “Who of us hasn’t banged their head on something?”

It is not so clear that President Putin put his heart out in this interview. Western security experts speculate that he may wait for Trump, apparently considered friendly to Russia, to return to the White House. They point out that Russia may think of his comeback as a step forward to end the war against Ukraine the way it wants it given that Trump opposes aid packages for Ukraine in pursuit of isolationism.


Eun-A Cho achim@donga.com