‘Putin: Trump’s Prosecution Exposes the Corruption in America’s Political System’
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on September 12 that the indictments against former President Donald Trump are politically motivated and reveal the fundamental corruption of the U.S. political system.
During the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin stated that from Moscow’s perspective, everything happening to Trump is advantageous.
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“Everything that is happening with Trump is the prosecution of a political rival for political reasons,” he added. “That’s what it is. And this is being done in front of the public of the United States and the whole world.”
President Trump, who is viewed as the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is facing trials in four different criminal cases filed against him in Florida, Georgia, New York, and the District of Columbia.
President Trump has consistently denounced all charges against him, characterizing them as politically motivated persecutions and part of a “yet another attempt to rig and steal a presidential election.”
US-Russia Ties
Regarding the relationship between the United States and Russia, Putin expressed doubt when asked if the next U.S. president could significantly improve the currently strained ties between the two countries.
“It is hard for us to predict what will happen in the future, regardless of who becomes the president, but it is unlikely that there will be any radical changes,” he said, suggesting that President Joe Biden has fostered a strong anti-Russia bias and “it will be very difficult for them to somehow turn this whole ship” in a different direction.
Relations between Moscow and Washington, already strained during Trump’s presidency, have deteriorated further under President Biden following Putin’s decision in February 2022 to send tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine. This move led to extensive Western sanctions and military assistance to Kyiv.
President Trump has stated on multiple occasions that if reelected, he could resolve the Ukrainian conflict within 24 hours by initiating negotiations between the warring parties.
“I know Zelenskyy well, I know Putin well. I would get that ended in a period of 24 hours,” President Trump said in May. “It would be easy, that deal would be easy.”
In response to these remarks, Putin mentioned that the Kremlin heard President Trump claim he would swiftly “solve pressing problems,” such as the Ukrainian crisis. Putin stated that the former president’s intentions are good and can only bring happiness.
Putin Expects Long War
However, the Russian leader also indicated that Moscow is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine, as Kyiv may use any ceasefire to rearm. Additionally, Putin believes that regardless of the outcome of the 2024 U.S. election, Washington will continue to view Russia as an enemy.
During the economic forum, Putin spoke for several hours and stated that Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces had so far been unsuccessful, resulting in heavy losses of 71,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
Russia currently controls approximately 18 percent of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, as well as parts of eastern and southern Ukraine that it captured during what it called a “special military operation.”
The war has caused widespread devastation in cities and rural areas and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties among both military personnel and civilians.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
