Putin reveals who he wants to be the next US president

President Vladimir Putin has said that he would prefer to see Joe Biden win a second term over Donald Trump.

Speaking in an interview with a correspondent of Russian state television, Mr Putin claimed he will work with any US leader who is elected, but noted unequivocally that he would prefer Mr Biden’s victory when asked who would be a better choice from the point of view of 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.”

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

Mr Putin noted that the talk about Mr Biden’s health comes as “the election campaign is gaining speed in the US, and it’s taking an increasingly sharp course”.

He added that allegations of Mr Biden’s health problems were also circulating at the time when they met in Switzerland in June 2021, adding that he witnessed the contrary and saw the US leader in a good shape.

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands

“They talked about him being incapacitated, but I saw nothing of the kind,” Mr Putin said. “Yes, he was peeking at his papers, to be honest, I was peeking at mine, not a big deal.”

At the same time, Mr Putin noted that he sees the Biden administration policy as wrong.

Russia-West ties have plunged to their lowest levels since the Cold War era after Mr Putin sent his troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

“I believe that the position of the current administration is badly flawed and wrong, and I have told President Biden about that,” Putin said.

Asked about Mr Trump’s statement on Saturday, in