In a recent Kremlin-released video, Putin told the interviewer he preferred Joe Biden rather than Donald Trump in America’s coming presidential election.
The question to Putin was, “Who is better for us? Biden or Trump?”
“Biden. He is more experienced, more predictable. He is an old-school politician,” Putin quickly answered. “But we will work with any U.S. leader who the American people have confidence in.”
Putin, famous as a former KGB lieutenant colonel, faces his own re-election bid next month as he seeks a fifth term. He also suddenly, and chillingly, finds himself without a serious opponent.
Government officials say opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was already jailed in Siberia, dropped dead at the age of 47 last week.
Prison officials say Navalny went for a walk then reported feeling unwell. He fell unconscious and died, according to Fox News.
“Alexei didn’t die. He was murdered,” his spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, said in a Reuters’ video posted to X.
Navalny, an attorney, waded into national politics when in his 20s. His headline-making opposition to Putin, and to political corruption, stretches back two decades. He named names over the years, including powerful businessmen and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, so the activist's death satisfied many who were targeted by him over the years.
Reacting to international outrage, the Kremlin on Monday denounced international response blaming Putin for Navalny’s death.
“We consider it absolutely unacceptable to make such, well, frankly obnoxious statements," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, Fox reported. "These statements, of course, cannot cause any damage to our head of our state."
If Putin or those in his charge are indeed responsible for Navalny’s death, his sudden widow may be placing herself in their crosshairs, too. Yulia Navalnaya has issued statements vowing to continue her husband’s work.
“Three days ago Vladimir Putin killed my husband Alexei Navalny. Putin killed the father of my children. Putin took away the most precious thing I had. I have no right to give up. I will continue to fight for our country, and I urge you to stand next to me. Putin killed not just the man Alexei Navalny. He wanted to kill our hope, our freedom, our future,” Navalnaya said, according to Fox News.
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Bob Maginnis, the Family Research Council’s senior fellow for national security, said on Washington Watch Friday that Putin had imprisoned Navalny after trying unsuccessfully to poison him.
It’s not surprising that Putin would be cheering for Biden’s re-election, Maginnis also said.
“Biden refused to put up deterrence against that invasion of Ukraine, and of course, Trump has proven to be a very hard customer to deal with. Putin knows that. Trump would be much tougher on Putin,” Maginnis told show host Joseph Backholm.
Last June, Putin faced a threat from the leader of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his mercenaries from Ukraine toward Moscow. Two months later Prigozhin, after agreeing to a deal to live in Belarus in exile, died in a mysterious plane crash.
“Putin is a crafty guy, former KGB secret service,” Maginnis said. “I lived very close on the other side of the border from him in Europe. He is not opposed to taking out people who oppose him.”
