Secret tactic behind Putin saying he prefers Biden: Russian propagandists

Russia President Vladimir Putin’s statement that he would prefer President Joe Biden to win the United States 2024 election was “a precise calculation” by the Kremlin leader, according to prominent Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov.

Putin made his pick for Washington’s next leader during an interview with Russian state television on Wednesday, saying that while disagrees with Biden’s policies, the president is a better choice for Russia than his biggest challenger, former President Donald Trump. The comment was surprising, given the Biden administration’s adamant opposition to Putin’s war against Ukraine. Trump said that it was a “compliment” to not get picked by the Russian leader.

Some Russian media outlets suggested Putin’s endorsement of Biden was only “trolling,” according to a report from Julia Davis, founder of the watchdog group Russian Media Monitor. Solovyov, however, said that it was no accident that Putin picked the current president, and claimed that the comment was full of “info-bombs and mines.”

“They say it’s trolling. No, this is not trolling,” Solovyov said during Wednesday’s episode of his TV show, The Evening With Vladimir Solovoyv. “It’s a precise calculation.”

Solovyov noted later in his show that Putin’s comments about Biden and Trump included “a large number of carefully placed info-bombs and mines.”

“Russia is often being criticized for its inability to wage information wars. Often, this criticism is quite justified,” added Russian political scientist Dmitry Evstafiev, who joined Solovyov on Wednesday. “We have lost in many political and information-related situations. But let me tell you, we are learning!”

Solovoyv was also joined by Russian political scientist Dmitry Kulikov, who said that Putin’s interview on national television was a way to supplement his conversation with Tucker Carlson, which was released a week prior.

“[Wednesday’s interview] included topics not covered by Tucker—or questions he couldn’t figure out how to ask, because he was in such a state of shock,” Kulikov said, according to Davis’ report.

Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin’s press office for comment.

It’s unclear why Putin said that Biden would be a better choice for Russia after 2024, but the White House quickly dismissed his endorsement.

“I think Mr. Putin knows very well what this administration has been doing to counter Russia’s malign influence around the world,” White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a briefing Thursday.

“Mr. Putin should just stay out of our elections,” he added.

Experts in the past have suggested that a second Trump term could benefit Putin, given the former president’s stance on the U.S.’s support of Ukraine and his recent comments regarding the NATO alliance. During Wednesday’s interview, Putin appeared to agree with Trump on the Western bloc, saying that he believes “that there is absolutely no point in NATO.”

“Its only purpose is to serve as a tool of US foreign policy,” Putin added. “If the United States considers this tool no longer necessary, that is their decision.”

Trump repeatedly threatened to pull out of the NATO alliance during his first term in office and recently said that he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to member countries who do not meet the alliance’s spending requirements.

The Kremlin leader also said during the interview that the Biden administration has pursued “what amounts to a harmful and erroneous policy.”