Putin says the cases against Donald Trump show the ‘rottenness’ of the U.S. system.

President Vladimir V. Putin called the criminal cases against Donald J. Trump good for Russia and an indication of the American system’s “rottenness,” in wide-ranging remarks Tuesday that also touched on the war in Ukraine, China and Elon Musk.

The Russian leader, speaking at an economic conference in the eastern city of Vladivostok, also called on Ukraine to reverse its ban on negotiating with him, even as he claimed that Russia had signed up hundreds of thousands more troops for its war effort.

The comments came as Mr. Putin prepared to meet with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, who arrived in Russia on Tuesday, the Kremlin said. Russian news reports have speculated that the meeting could take place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch center in the Amur region. Mr. Putin confirmed on Tuesday that he would visit the facility but did not say he would host Mr. Kim there.

Here is some of what the Russian leader said:

• Donald J. Trump: Mr. Putin said the criminal cases against the former U.S. president show “the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.” The Russian leader said the cases amount to “persecution of one’s political rival for political motives” and lay bare “who is fighting us.” Mr. Trump has continued to express his admiration for Mr. Putin after leaving office, and called the Russian leader’s decision to invade Ukraine “pretty smart.”

• Talks with Ukraine: Asked to comment on Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s comments that he sees no indication Mr. Putin is interested in “meaningful diplomacy,” Mr. Putin said that Ukraine should rescind a ban on negotiations with Russia while Mr. Putin is in power. President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree in September 2022 declaring talks with Mr. Putin impossible, but left open the possibility of negotiations with Russia.

• Military recruitment: Some 270,000 Russians have voluntarily signed up for service in the past six to seven months, with 1,000 to 1,500 more signing up each day, Mr. Putin claimed, in the latest sign that he intends Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to continue. He skirted a question about the possibility of another round of mobilization to replenish Russian forces.

• Elon Musk: The billionaire entrepreneur is an “active, talented businessman,” Mr. Putin said, noting that all around the world Mr. Musk is recognized as an “outstanding” person in private business. The description resembled the way the Russian leader first described Mr. Trump as a “brilliant and talented” individual when he launched his U.S. presidential run in 2015. Last week, Mr. Musk acknowledged that he had thwarted a Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet in 2022 by refusing to let the Ukrainian military use his satellite network, Starlink, to guide its drones.

• China: Western nations are trying to restrain China’s development because they see how the country, under Xi Jinping’s leadership, is developing by leaps and bounds, Mr. Putin said. “They are doing everything to slow the development of China, but this will not be possible,” he said, adding: “They are late. The train has left the station.” Mr. Putin has forged closer ties with Mr. Xi, in part to overcome Western sanctions, and the two leaders declared an enduring economic partnership after talks this year in Moscow.

• Arkady Volozh: The co-founder of the Russian tech company Yandex, who condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine as barbaric, was likely “forced to make certain statements” in order to be on good terms with the authorities in Israel, where he moved after leaving Russia. “Well, God bless him, may he have a good life there,” Mr. Putin added. Mr. Volozh resigned from his post as the chief executive of Yandex, often described as Russia’s Google, last year after the European Union placed him under sanctions for “materially or financially” supporting the invasion.

• Capital flight: Mr. Putin called on businessmen to keep their money inside Russia, warning them that “we see what is happening with capital, where it is moving.” He also said that Western governments’ seizures of Russian assets had “crossed all lines.” In July, a report from Russia’s central bank said $253 billion had been pulled out of Russia since the start of the war.