I am not trying to degrade the conversation, but I know how they usualy go. What I am saying is I feel that there is a fundimental lack of understanding of the geoplolitical interists of russia, and not only that, it would be the simpliler solution to assume that Putin is speaking honestly when he says he would prefer to work with Biden, even if that reasoning is as simple as he thinks biden has a better chance of winning and saying this now will make deplomacy easier in the future. I think it is a bit bold to just jump to the conclusion that because Putin has said X he really means Y, and it feels much more like the world view you subscribe to requries putin and the Russian Federation to want Y so no matter what is being said you will make it so it really means he belives Y.