From a Wall Street Journal story by Matthew Luxmoore headlined “Putin Calls Trump Charges Political ‘Persecution'”:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday waded into the debate over the criminal charges faced by Republican election candidate Donald Trump, saying the cases against the former U.S. president amount to political “persecution” and expose U.S. weakness.

“This shows the whole rottenness of the American political system, which cannot claim to teach others about democracy,” Putin said in an appearance at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, an annual event aimed at showcasing the Russian government’s development plans. “What’s happening with Trump is a persecution of a political rival for political motives.”