
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and US President Donald Trump attend a meeting in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. AFP
Trump became the first former US head of state ever convicted of a crime last week after a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony charges in a hush-money case.
"It is obvious all over the world that the prosecution of Trump... is simply the utilisation of the judicial system during an internal political struggle," Putin told a televised meeting with representatives from foreign news outlets.
"Their supposed leadership in the sphere of democracy is being burned to the ground," Putin said.
Asked what a victory for either Trump or incumbent US President Joe Biden would mean for US-Russia relations, Putin said: "By and large there's no difference."
Trump, who faces an election in November that could see him return to the White House, has praised Putin as a "smart guy".
The 77-year-old has vowed to end the Ukraine conflict "within 24 hours" if re-elected, a proposal that has drawn scepticism and alarm from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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