Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the criminal charges against Donald Trump – saying it put the “rottenness of the American political system” on full display.
Speaking at Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday, Putin said the US could no longer “demand to teach others about democracy.”
“What happened with Trump is the persecution of political rivals for political motives,” Putin, who has ruled Russia for about two decades, fumed.
Putin’s strong words echo Trump’s own sentiments, with the former commander-in-chief repeatedly and loudly denying wrongdoing across the board and accusing prosecutors of waging a “witch hunt” against him aimed at tipping the scales in the 2024 election.
Putin’s insult also comes almost three weeks after former Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash – which the Kremlin has admitted may have been “deliberate”.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump met at the 2019 G20 summit.REUTERS
Nearly two months before the private jet went down in a fireball on August 23, Prigozhin held a march on Moscow, bringing his mercenaries within about 124 miles of the Russian capital.
The mercenary leader, Putin’s former chef, hinted at a plan to topple Russia’s Defense Ministry amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin denied responsibility for Prigozhin’s death but later admitted that the rogue warlord may have been killed.
Vladimir Putin has long defended former President Donald Trump, who has exchanged compliments with the Russian leader in return.Getty Images
“It is clear that different versions are being considered, including the version — you know what we’re talking about — let’s say, a deliberate mistake,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters a week after the crash.
Meanwhile, Putin recently skipped the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, India, which ran from September 7 to 10 amid international outrage over the brutal attack in Ukraine.
Putin has a history of defending Trump in the public square and has vehemently denied accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to support the real estate mogul.
A photo of the former president taken while he was being held at the Fulton County Jail last month. FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images
However, a GOP-led Senate committee concluded in 2018 that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump, backing the findings of the US intelligence community.
During Trump’s presidency, he drew heavy criticism for getting too cozy with the Russian leader — but still enacting tough sanctions against the Kremlin and green-lighting lethal military aid to Ukraine.
Trump faces four separate indictments — all as he runs for the top job again.
Donald Trump is the first current or former US president to face criminal charges.Getty Images
President Biden and Donald Trump are competing in several polls.Getty Images
He faces a total of 91 charges in the four criminal cases – and up to 712 years and six months in prison if convicted of all.
The 77-year-old former president has pleaded not guilty in all four pending cases and is bracing for a protracted court battle.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
