In an interview on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believes a Joe Biden presidency would be better for Russia than a Donald Trump presidency.
When asked about the upcoming 2024 US presidential election, Putin said "Biden would be better for Russia because he is more experienced and predictable." He described Biden as a "politician of an old formation" that Russia could "work with."
Putin criticized the current US administration's "extremely harmful and erroneous" position on Russia's war in Ukraine. He claimed the war "could have been over a year and a half ago" if certain agreements made in Istanbul in March 2022 had been upheld.
The Russian leader expressed regret that he "didn't start active actions in Ukraine earlier," before February 2022. He claimed Western leaders had lied to Russia about not expanding NATO eastward, which he said threatens Russia's security.
Putin also alleged the Minsk agreements, a 2015 Ukraine-Russia ceasefire protocol, were never meant to be implemented but rather used by Ukraine to buy time and acquire more weapons.
Additionally, Putin said he was disappointed by his recent softball interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson. Putin said he expected Carlson to ask tough, aggressive questions that would allow Putin to give strong rebuttals. Overall, Putin did not enjoy the interview.
The Russian president's belief that a Biden presidency would benefit Russia more than another Trump term provides insight into his perspectives on American politics. His criticisms of US stances on NATO and Ukraine also shed light on his strategic worldview.