Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that President Trump’s impeachment was based on “groundless” accusations similar to the disproved allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

In his end-of-year news conference, Mr. Putin dismissed the House Democrats’ impeachment case as being based on “absolutely invented reasons.” He said the impeachment will likely fail in a trial in the Republican-led Senate.

“It needs to go through the Senate where as far as I know the Republicans have a majority,” Mr. Putin told reporters. “It’s hardly like they will want to distance themselves from power on account of — in my view — some absolutely invented reasons.”

The Russian leader accused House Democrats of trying to remove Mr. Trump using “other means” after Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential elections.

“It is simply a continuation of an internal political battle,” Mr. Putin said. “And the party that lost the elections, the Democrat Party, is trying to achieve results with other ways, with other means. Bringing accusations against Trump of a conspiracy with Russia, later it becomes clear there was no conspiracy. It cannot lie at the basis of impeachment.”

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