Putin Tells Republican He ‘Understands’ Voting for Trump in 2024

Ex-Trump aide asked for a comment on Trump seeking reelection
Putin spoke for nearly 4 hours at annual meeting with experts

Vladimir Putin speaks in Sochi, Russia, on Oct. 21.Photographer: Dmitry Feoktistov/TASS/Getty Images

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By Jake Rudnitsky

October 21, 2021 at 6:33 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin refused to be pinned down by a former Donald Trump aide when asked during his annual meeting with analysts to comment on reports that the ex-president may run again in 2024.

Instead, Putin flipped the script on Christian Whiton, a Center for the National Interest senior fellow who advised Trump on strategic communications, and prodded him to say who he would vote for in a contest between Trump and a Democrat.