WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden says Russia will pay a price for interfering in U.S. elections if he wins the White House.

The former vice president said Thursday during a CNN town hall staged near his birth city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, that Russia would face repercussions for attempting to influence November's vote. When pressed by moderator Anderson Cooper, however, he refused to say exactly what that meant.

"It wouldn't be prudent to be more specific," Biden said. He instead said he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was doing his best to divide Europe.

Biden also said he viewed Russia as an opponent but declined to be quite as critical of China. Instead, he said he viewed China as a "serious competitor."

U.S. intelligence officials believe that Russia is using a variety of measures to denigrate Biden ahead of the November election and that individuals linked to the Kremlin are boosting President Donald Trump's reelection bid. Russia also interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton.