ASTANA – Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that his preference for Joe Biden as the next U.S. president remains unchanged despite having watched fragments of a debate between Biden and Donald Trump. When asked by a state television reporter if his preference for Biden had changed after the debate, and if he had seen it, Putin responded: “Nothing has changed.”
“Did we not know what could come? We knew,” Putin added, indicating that his views were unaffected by the debate. Putin has expressed his preference for Biden several times, even after Biden referred to the Kremlin chief as a “crazy SOB”.
“I saw some fragments,” Putin said, noting that he had other matters to attend to. “But I have enough to do.”
Biden, 81, delivered a performance during the debate that raised questions about his age and mental fitness, putting these issues at the forefront of the campaign. Putin said he paid little attention to partial media reports about the debate, although he acknowledged the importance of the United States as a global power.
Regarding Trump’s statements that he could end the Ukraine war swiftly if he won the presidential election, Putin mentioned that Russia takes him seriously but lacks details on Trump’s peace proposals.
“The fact that Mr. Trump, as a presidential candidate, declares that he is ready and wants to stop the war in Ukraine, we take this completely seriously,” Putin said. “I am not, of course, familiar with possible proposals for how he plans to do this. This is the key question. But I have no doubt that he means it sincerely, and we support it.”