Russian President Vladimir Putin has echoed <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/donald-trump/" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>'s claim that the four criminal indictments the former US leader faces amount to political persecution, saying the cases expose the “rottenness” of the American political system. Mr Putin, who has a long track record of persecuting political rivals including Kremlin critic <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2023/08/04/navalny-jailed-for-further-19-years-on-extremism-charges/" target="_blank">Alexei Navalny</a>, also said he did not expect any change in US foreign policy towards Russia regardless of who wins the 2024 presidential election. Mr Trump is currently facing one state-level and three federal indictments, including two that accuse him of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden by more than seven million votes. The former president, who is favourite to win the Republican nomination to run again next year, has pleaded not guilty and has described the prosecutions as a political witch hunt. “As for the persecution of Trump, for us, in the current environment, it's good because it shows the rottenness of the American system,” Mr Putin said at an economic forum in the far eastern city of Vladivostok. “It is a politically motivated persecution of one's competitor.” As president, Mr Trump was investigated for possible collusion with <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/russia" target="_blank">Russia</a> but special counsel Robert Mueller did not find sufficient evidence that his campaign had co-ordinated with Moscow to influence the 2016 election in which he defeated Hillary Clinton. The Kremlin has repeatedly spoken out in defence of the former president. Relations between Washington and Moscow, strained by a litany of issues under Mr Putin, have hit new lows since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Mr Putin said he did not expect any change in US foreign policy towards Russia regardless of “whoever will be elected president” next year. He accused Washington of stoking anti-Russian feelings among ordinary Americans. “Current authorities have directed American society in an anti-Russian spirit,” the Russian leader said. “They've done it and now somehow turning this ship in the other direction will be very difficult.” Mr Trump last year called Mr Putin's invasion of Ukraine “genius” and said it would have never happened “in a million years” if he were still president because he knows the Russian leader “very well”. The Republican leader has claimed, without elaborating, that he could end the Ukraine war within 24 hours.
