MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden announced that he would seek re-election in the 2024 presidential contest a full year-and-a-half in advance of the vote in order to dodge liability for his crimes and keep his allies and sponsors in his camp, Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday.

"Given the recent precedent in the US, where criminal charges were brought against ex-President Trump, Biden is afraid of being held liable for his crimes. In order to avoid that fate, he must remain in power," Volodin contends.

He stressed that, currently, 70% of Americans polled do not want to see Biden return to the presidency. "He only has one option for keeping his [political] allies and sponsors on board: to throw his hat in the ring as early as possible," the State Duma speaker added.

According to him, Biden’s crimes include organizing the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, establishing military biolabs around the world, "his family’s corrupt business dealings in Ukraine, the destruction of Europe’s economy, the genocide of civilians in Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and unleashing the war in Ukraine." Volodin said, emphasizing that "this list could go on."

On April 25, Biden officially announced that he would seek re-election in November 2024. If re-elected, the 46th US president would be 82 years old upon his inauguration for a second term, making him the oldest occupant of the White House in history.