Putin says he’d prefer ‘experienced’ Biden over Trump in White House

It is a bromance that no-one would have seen coming.

But now, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has claimed he prefers incumbent US president Joe Biden over Donald Trump, saying he is“predictable”,“more experienced” and“a politician of the old formation”.

In an interview with Russian TV, when asked by the journalist which likely candidate he would prefer to win a second term in the White House, Mr Putin said he thought another Bid en presidency would be better for Russia.

“Biden, he’s more experienced, more predictable, he’s a politician of the old formation,” Putin said.

“But we will work with any US leader whom the American people trust.”

Questions have been raised over the ability of Mr Bid en, who is 81, to serve another term as president.

Last week, Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to charge Mr Biden for taking classified documents when he left the vice-presidency in 2017, but also described him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”.

Asked about the speculation on Mr Biden’s health issues, Mr Putin responded: “I’m not a doctor and I don’t consider it proper to comment on that.”

However, Mr Putin insisted when he had last met Mr Biden in 2021, he had not noticed anything unusual.

“Even then [three years ago] people were saying that he was incompetent, but I did not see anything of this sort,” he said. “Yes, he kept looking at his papers, but to be honest I kept doing the same."

The Russian president did, however, describe Mr Biden’s condemnation of the invasion of ukraine as“extremely harmful and erroneous ”.

Mr Putin has previously praised Mr Trump, during his first presidential campaign, as “outstanding and talented”.

Asked about Mr Trump’s statement on Saturday, in which he said he once warned he would allow Russia to do whatever it wants to Nato member nations that are “delinquent” in devoting 2 per cent of their gross domestic product to defence, Mr Putin said it is up to the US to determine its role in the alliance.

“Mr Putin should stay out of America’s elections,” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.