President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, whose authorities was accused by American officers of interfering within the 2016 American election to assis
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, whose authorities was accused by American officers of interfering within the 2016 American election to assist the Trump marketing campaign, gave a wide-ranging interview on American politics on Wednesday during which he spoke warmly about Democrats.
It was unclear what his targets had been — Christopher A. Wray, the director of the F.B.I., warned a Home committee final month that Russia was actively pursuing a disinformation marketing campaign in opposition to Joseph R. Biden Jr. — however one chance was that Mr. Putin was reaching out in case Mr. Biden, who leads within the polls, wins the election.
Within the interview, Mr. Putin criticized Mr. Biden for what he referred to as anti-Russian rhetoric however stated he appreciated the candidate’s positions on arms management and went on to recommend some ideological frequent floor.
The Democratic Get together, he stated, is “historically nearer to liberal values, it’s near the concepts of social democracy,” and these positions might assist construct contacts with Russia. Mr. Putin famous that he was for 18 years a member of the Soviet Communist Get together. “Ever since, I’ve preferred most of the leftist values,” he stated.
In home politics, Mr. Putin and the ruling United Russia celebration are seen as effectively to the proper of the post-Soviet Russian Communist Get together, although these positions matter little as police repression has squelched most actual political competitors.
Mr. Putin instructed one other intersection of pursuits within the Soviet Union’s conventional help for civil rights for Blacks. This historical past might “additionally turn out to be a foundation for mutual understanding,” he stated.
Within the interview on state tv, Mr. Putin additionally stated that President Trump, although he had advocated hotter ties with Moscow, had not delivered any breakthroughs. “The intentions President Trump spoke of earlier weren’t realized,” he stated, although with out blaming Mr. Trump. Mr. Putin stated anti-Russian sentiment in each American events had hindered any warming of relations.
In overseas affairs, analysts of Russian affect operations say Moscow has supported destabilizing political figures or actions on each the left and the proper, within the hopes of undermining Western political unity. Moscow has denied meddling in Western elections.
Final month, in one other obvious effort at outreach earlier than the U.S. election, the Kremlin proposed a truce in cyberoperations between america and Russia, although with out acknowledging cyberattacks in nations from the Ukraine to america.