Vladimir Putin lashes out at 'rotten' US as he defends Donald Trump over prosecution
Putin says the US "cannot pretend to teach others about democracy"
Reuters/PA
Vladimir Putin has criticised the US political system of being "rotten" as he gave his views on Donald Trump's prosecution.
Trump has been criminally indicted four times, including being charged for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia against Joe Biden.
Putin has said that the criminal cases against Trump are politically motivated.
“Everything that is happening with Trump, this is persecution for political reasons of one’s political rival,” Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
Putin called any supposed links to the US “nonsense”
Reuters
“It's being done before the eyes of the US public and the whole world. They've simply exposed their internal problems."
"In this sense, if they are trying to fight us in some way, it’s good, because it shows who is fighting us. It shows, as they said back in Soviet times, 'the bestial face of American imperialism, the bestial grin'.
“It shows all the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy."
Trump's other indictments relate to the Capitol riots in January 2021, the alleged mishandling of classified material after he left the White House, and the hush money scandal with Stormy Daniels.
The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Whilst President, Trump was investigated for possibly colluding with Moscow ahead of the 2016 election.
However, the case was squashed when special counsel Robert Mueller did not find sufficient evidence that proved that Trump collaborated with Russia.
Putin called any supposed links to the US “nonsense”.
He said that no matter who the US president was, it was unlikely to affect relations between the two powers.
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The Russian president said that the Biden administration had instilled a strong bias against Russia and it “will be very difficult for them to somehow turn this whole ship” in a different direction.
Russia is due to have a presidential election in 2024.
When asked if he would run again, Putin said “we will talk about it” after an election date has been set.
The Russian President went on to praise Elon Musk at the Eastern Economic Forum.
“As for private business, Elon Musk - he is undoubtedly an outstanding person. It must be admitted. I think the whole world admits it. He is an active, talented businessman,” he said.
Putin said Russia wanted to develop its support for private businesses in Russia.