Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday waded into the debate over the criminal charges faced by Republican election candidate Donald Trump, saying the cases against the former U.S. president amount to political “persecution" and expose U.S. weakness.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday waded into the debate over the criminal charges faced by Republican election candidate Donald Trump, saying the cases against the former U.S. president amount to political “persecution" and expose U.S. weakness.

“This shows the whole rottenness of the American political system, which cannot claim to teach others about democracy," Putin said in an appearance at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, an annual event aimed at showcasing the Russian government’s development plans. “What’s happening with Trump is a persecution of a political rival for political motives."

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“This shows the whole rottenness of the American political system, which cannot claim to teach others about democracy," Putin said in an appearance at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, an annual event aimed at showcasing the Russian government’s development plans. “What’s happening with Trump is a persecution of a political rival for political motives."

Putin’s comments echo repeated statements made by Trump, who faces a total of 13 charges at the federal and state levels alleging a criminal racketeering scheme in which he pressured public officials and conspired to commit forgery, create false statements and file false documents.

Trump, who is a front-runner for the Republican nomination despite facing the prospect of conviction before the election next November, has publicly criticized U.S. spending on Ukraine and military aid to the war-torn country as it continues a major counteroffensive aimed at ousting Russian forces from the vast swath of Ukrainian land they occupy.

On the day Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February of last year, the former U.S. president called Putin “pretty smart" and criticized the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion. Speaking at a Republican presidential town hall hosted by CNN in May, he said that as president he would be able to resolve the Ukraine war in one day by striking a deal with both sides.

Referring to those comments on Tuesday, Putin said that he welcomed any such initiative. But he said that he didn’t expect any changes in relations between Russia and the U.S., regardless of who is president after November 2024.

Putin has long portrayed the war in Ukraine, which has cost tens of thousands of Russian lives and prompted Western sanctions that have hobbled Russia’s economy, as a broader fight against the U.S.-led Western alliance. In his comments on Tuesday, he said the cases against Trump throw light on domestic tensions in the U.S. that make the country weaker in its standoff with Russia. “They simply exposed their domestic problems," he said. “And in that sense, if they’re trying to compete with us on something, then it shows who we’re competing with."

Write to Matthew Luxmoore at [email protected]