Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he would prefer Joe Biden to win the 2024 election compared to the front-runner of the Republican primary, Donald Trump, calling the Democratic president a “more predictable” leader.
“Biden, he’s more experienced, more predictable, he’s a politician of the old formation,” Putin said in an interview with Russian state media, according to The Associated Press. “But we will work with any U.S. leader whom the American people trust.”
But Trump seemed to think Putin actually praised him.
“President Putin of Russia has just given me a great compliment, actually,” Trump said during a rally in Charleston, South Carolina.
He continued: “A lot of people said, ‘Oh, gee, that’s too bad.’ No, no, that’s a good thing. And, of course, he would say that.”
Putin’s remarks appear curious given Biden has repeatedly criticized him, and earlier this week condemned Trump for saying that he would allow Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies if they don’t meet his defense spending requirements.
“No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator,” Biden said. “Let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will.”
During another part of Wednesday’s interview, Putin said Tucker Carlson was softer than he expected in his questioning during their two-hour sitdown in Moscow last week.
“To be honest, I thought that he would behave aggressively and ask so-called sharp questions,” he said. “I was not just prepared for this, I wanted it, because it would give me the opportunity to respond in the same way.”