Editor’s note: Frida Gitis Former CNN producer and correspondent and world affairs columnist. She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to the Washington Post, and a columnist to the World Politics Review. Her views expressed in this comment are her own.view more opinions On CNN.
CNN
—
Russian President Vladimir Putin made some interesting remarks during Wednesday’s television interview with loyal journalist Pavel Zarubin. This included the assertion that it would be desirable for President Joe Biden to win the 2024 US presidential election.
This remark reminded me of the long nights I spent in Havana, Cuba, listening to Fidel Castro’s endless papal speeches on every topic under the long-vanishing sun. It was just before the 2000 US election, when then Vice President Al Gore faced off against then Texas Governor George W. Bush.
I asked Mr. Castro if there was a candidate he wanted to be the next president of the United States. He laughed a little and told me he certainly had a preference. But then he explained that he won’t tell me who Fidel prefers because it would only hurt the candidate.
Was Putin’s answer based on the same calculation?
In his interview with Zarubin, Putin argued that Biden would be a better fit for Russia. [and] He is an old-school politician. ” This statement is consistent with other comments Putin has made regarding the current president. President Putin made similar remarks after President Biden’s first summit in Geneva in 2021. “It is clear that he is a well-rounded, professional person and very experienced,” Putin said. “I feel like we certainly spoke the same language.”
Deciphering President Putin and his motives is a constant challenge. The former KGB agent is known for playing all sorts of mind games. Remember when he met with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, learned of her fear of dogs, and released a giant black Labrador in a display of fear Merkel so brazenly imitated. He seemed very satisfied.
In this latest interview, Putin also made some selective comments about another so-called interview conducted last week by disgraced former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a propaganda event. said. Mr. Carlson was criticized in the United States and Europe not only for his softball interview and his failure to counter Putin’s barrage of falsehoods in the slightest, but also for all the controversies surrounding the officially sworn-in Russian leader. This is also to avoid questions about. He was charged with war crimes.
If the Americans were not satisfied, perhaps Mr. Carlson was hoping that Mr. Putin would be impressed. But on Wednesday, the Russian president took a dismissive stance. “I honestly thought [Carlson] They will ask aggressive and tough questions. ” Putin said he was ready for it and that he expected it because “it will give us the opportunity to give a tough answer.” But Carlson “chose a different tactic.” Putin added that he “did not fully enjoy” his interview.
Get our free weekly newsletter
When President Putin met with Karlsson, his psychological tactics were on display. At one point, Putin pointed out that Karlsson’s attempt to participate had been rejected by the CIA, and mocked him with a sarcastic laugh. Perhaps he was indicating that he had done a background check on the interviewer. Perhaps he was trying to lose his balance. Whatever it was, Mr. Karlsson looked stunned, but Mr. Putin seemed pleased.
The Russian president would prefer Mr. Biden, who has assembled a strong coalition to fight back against Russia in its war with Ukraine and called Putin a war criminal, or Mr. Donald, who has just praised the Russian leader and said: Which former President Trump do you prefer? He’ll tell Russia to “do whatever you want” to NATO allies who don’t spend enough on defense, but that doesn’t seem that hard to decipher.
Mr. Castro said nothing because he did not want to jinx his preferred candidate. President Putin may be trying to jinx the people he wants to lose.
Correction: A previous version incorrectly quoted former President Donald Trump as saying he would “give” Ukraine to Russia. He said President Joe Biden would “give” Ukraine to Russia.