Russian President Vladimir Putin described US counterpart Joe Biden on Wednesday as more โpredictableโ than Donald Trump but said the Kremlin was prepared to work with whoever wins Novemberโs election.
Asked by a journalist who Russia would like to see win in the likely contest between the Democratic incumbent and Republican frontrunner Trump, Putin said: โBiden, heโs more experienced. Heโs predictable, heโs an old-school politician.โ
Putin batted away questions about Bidenโs age and health, with the president set to turn 82 just weeks after the election.
โWhen I met Mr Biden three years ago, itโs true, people were already talking about his inabilities, but I saw nothing of the sort,โ said Putin, evidently referring to a summit in Geneva.
US polls show voters have strong concerns about Bidenโs age.
The age issue has been compounded by two recent episodes in which Biden confused European leaders with dead predecessors.
The White House was forced to vehemently defend the presidentโs competence last week after a special counsel report described him as an โelderly man with a poor memoryโ.
Biden himself responded angrily to the accusation, but then compounded the problem by mixing up the presidents of Egypt and Mexico.
Trump, 77, has also mixed up peopleโs names recently, confusing his last rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, with former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Putin, nonetheless, expressed strong opposition to Washingtonโs foreign policy under Biden.
โWhat we have to examine is the political position, and that of the current administration is extremely harmful and wrong,โ said Putin.