Kremlin Breaks Silence on 'Predictable' Joe Biden Dropping Out

The Kremlin has broken its silence on U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to abandon his campaign to seek reelection in November.

On Sunday Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place amid intensifying pressure from the Democratic Party to withdraw following his disastrous CNN debate with Donald Trump in June that raised concerns about his mental acuity and ability to serve another term in office.

Commenting on Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recounted Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks in February, in which he said that "predictable" Biden was preferable to Russia than Trump, but that he was willing to work with any U.S. president.

"[Biden] is a more experienced, predictable person, a politician of the old school. But we will work with any U.S. leader who is trusted by the American people," Putin said at the time.

"The elections are still four months away, and that is a long period of time in which a lot can change. We need to be patient and carefully monitor what happens," Peskov told the Russian Telegram channel SHOT.

"The priority for us is the special military operation," he said, using the Kremlin's term to describe the war in Ukraine, launched by Putin in February 2022.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and prime minister, also reacted to the news in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"That's it for Biden. So let us wish him good health. The goals of the special military operation will be achieved," he wrote.

Vyacheslav Volodin, who is speaker of Russia's parliament, the State Duma, repeated the Kremlin line that the U.S. and NATO member states are complicit in the war for providing Ukraine with military aid.

"Biden has created problems all over the world and in his own country, the United States. Seeing that he will not be elected, he is running away without waiting for the elections," Volodin said.

"He must be held accountable for: the war he unleashed in Ukraine; the destruction of the economies of European countries; the sanctions policy against Russia and other countries" Volodin added. "He has created problems all over the world, his hands are covered in blood."

Vladimir Dzhabarov, a senior member of the Russian Federation Council, said Biden dropping out of the 2024 race for the White House marked a "dark day" for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Europe.

"They don't like Trump," he told Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Zelensky thanked Biden for his "unwavering support for Ukraine's fight for freedom."

"Which, along with strong bipartisan support in the United States, has been and continues to be critical," the Ukrainian leader said on X. "Many strong decisions have been made in recent years and they will be remembered as bold steps taken by President Biden in response to challenging times. And we respect today's tough but strong decision. We will always be thankful for President Biden's leadership."

Biden's announcement came a week after an assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Harris has said she plans to "earn and win" the Democratic Party's nomination.

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