Moscow, Russia - Donald Trump's unprecedented trial for falsifying business records shows the Biden administration is "eliminating" its political rivals, Russia said Friday.

Trump on Thursday became the first-ever US president – former or sitting – to be convicted of a crime after a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony charges in a hush money case.

"The fact that a de-facto elimination of political rivals by all possible legal and illegal means is going on there is obvious," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Russia, whose judiciary has been accused by rights groups and foreign governments of jailing dissidents, often criticizes courts in Western countries when it suits political purposes.

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Putin himself has eliminated all real or perceived rivals over his years in power, including most recently arch nemesis Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February.

The conviction does not stop Trump from running in the 2024 presidential election – a rematch against Joe Biden. He has previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "smart guy" and vowed to end the Ukraine war "within 24 hours" if re-elected, sparking widespread skepticism and alarm from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump said he would "encourage" attacks on NATO allies that did not pay their fair share, prompting fierce criticism from the White House and even some of his own supporters.