Putin calls Trump’s laundry list of criminal charges ‘persecution’

The Russian president made the comments at a gathering of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has condemned Donald Trump’s laundry list of criminal charges as “persecution” and branded the US political system “rotten”.

At an Eastern Economic Forum gathering in Russia’s Pacific Coast city of Vladivostok, the Russian president claimed the prosecution of the former US president is an act of political revenge.

“As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy,” Mr Putin said.

“Everything that is happening with Trump is the persecution of a political rival for political reasons. That’s what it is. And this is being done in front of the public of the United States and the whole world.”

Mr Putin also discussed Mr Trump’s claim that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of days.

“We hear that Mr Trump says that he will solve pressing problems in a few days, including the Ukrainian crisis. Well, this cannot but bring happiness. This is good,” he said.

Mr Trump has claimed he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of days, if he regains the presidency. He has not provided details of his potential approach.

However, the Russian president also said his country’s poor relations with the United States were unlikely to change significantly regardless of who becomes president.

“What to expect from the future, no matter who the president is, it’s hard for us to say, but it’s unlikely that anything will change radically,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Russian president claimed the Biden administration has instilled a strong bias against Russia and ”it will be very difficult for them to somehow turn this whole ship” in the other direction.

During his four years in the White House, Mr Trump repeatedly touted having good relations with Mr Putin, while critics alleged he was submissive to the Russian leader.

Mr Trump previously claimed president Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine if he was still in power.

The former US president also claimed he was “the apple” of president Putin’s eye.

Seperately, at the forum, president Putin hedged when asked if he would seek another term at the Russian presidential election in 2024 after being in power, as president or prime minister, since 2000.

“We will talk about it” after the Russian parliament sets an election date, he said.

Opinion polls indicate that Mr Trump is by far the strongest contender to become the Republican Party‘s candidate in the 2024 presidential election.