Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin gave him "a great compliment" by saying he preferred President Joe Biden over the former president.
During a Wednesday interview on Russian state television, Putin said Biden defeating Trump in the 2024 presidential election would be "better for us."
"He's more experienced, more predictable, he's a politician of the old formation," Putin said of Biden.
The Russian president added, "but we will work with any U.S. leader whom the American people trust."
Trump, during a Wednesday night campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, addressed Putin's comment.
"President Putin of Russia has just given me a great compliment, actually," Trump told the crowd, ABC News reported.
"He just said that he would much rather have Joe Biden as president than Trump. Now that's a compliment. A lot of people said, 'Oh, gee, that's too bad.' No, no, that's a good thing. And of course, he would say that."
Trump said Putin prefers Biden because, while he was president, he used sanctions to halt construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, that would have carried natural gas from Russia to Europe.
"I stopped Nord Stream 2, and [Biden] approved it right after I left, so Putin is not a fan of mine actually," Trump said.
Biden waived sanctions on the pipeline, which critics believed would give Russia an energy dominance over Europe.
"He [Putin] doesn't want to have me. He wants Biden because he's going to be given everything he wants, including Ukraine," Trump said. "He's gonna have his dream of getting Ukraine because of Biden … The only president in the last five that hasn't given Russia anything is a president known as Donald J. Trump."
Trump previously touted a good relationship with Putin. He also has said that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly.
During his appearance in South Carolina, Trump also said that if he returns to the White House, he would not defend NATO members that don't meet defense spending targets.
"Look, if they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect. OK?" he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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