Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that he had seen excerpts from the debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but that his preference for Biden as the next US president remains unchanged.
Asked by a state television reporter whether Biden or Trump was better, whether his publicly stated preference for Biden had changed after the debate and whether he had watched it, Putin said:
«Nothing has changed.»
«We didn't know what could happen? We knew,» Putin added.
Putin has said many times that he feels Biden is preferable as the future US president to Trump, even after Biden described the Kremlin chief as a «crazy old bastard».»
Putin said he saw clips of the debate between Biden and Trump but had other things to do.
«I saw some clips,» Putin said. «But I have a lot to do.».
Putin said he paid little attention to individual media reports about the debate , though he could not overlook it as the United States remains a major power.
Asked about Trump's statements that he may end the war in Ukraine as soon as he wins the presidential election, Putin said Russia takes him seriously but has no sense of the details of any of Trump's peace proposals.
«The fact that Mr. Trump, as a candidate for the presidency , proclaims that he is ready and wants to stop the war in Ukraine, we take this very seriously,» Putin said.
«I am of course not familiar with possible suggestions as to how he plans to do this. That is the key question. But I have no doubt that he sincerely means it and we support it.».
The Russian president also said that Russia will not declare a ceasefire in Ukraine until Kiev takes measures that are «irreversible» and acceptable to Moscow.
Putin said last month that Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kiev agreed to give up its NATO ambitions and surrender all four provinces claimed by Moscow, demands Kiev quickly rejected as equivalent to surrender.
At the same time, he said that it is useless for Russia to try to address the Ukrainian parliament regarding Moscow's ideas for ending the conflict between the two countries.
He also said that constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington is impossible during the intense campaign for the US presidential election, and that Russia will wait for the result of the US elections in November and see what the new leadership will do.
