On Thursday, Vladimir Putin lashed out against U.S. President Joe Biden after he accused the Russian leader of being a “killer.”
Putin claimed that Biden’s comment put a strain on the two countries. He revealed that the situation is “very bad,” and that Russia must take a step back and analyze its U.S. relations.
In a statement by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, he said that Biden’s harsh words remain unprecedented. “These are very bad statements by the President of the United States.” He continued, “he does not want to improve relations with us, and we will continue to proceed from this.”
The U.S. President made his controversial comment in an ABC interview. During the discussion, Biden warned Russia that it will “pay the price” for its alleged interference in the 2020 general elections, a claim that had been largely unfounded.
Then, the tension escalated after the show’s host asked Biden whether he believed that Putin is a killer. “Mhmm. I do,” he responded.
The President even quipped that he thinks Putin did “not have a soul”.
Surprisingly, Putin was able to put aside his anger and invited Biden to an online meeting, under the terms that nothing will be pre-recorded. “It seems to me, it would be interesting both for Russian people and the US people, as well as for many other countries,” Putin noted.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki remains uncertain whether Biden will accept the offer. The Press Secretary claimed that the President already held previous discussions with Russia, and believed that there are other world leaders that he needed to meet.
Psaki was also asked to comment on Biden’s allegation that Putin is a killer. However, the press secretary continued to dodge the question by saying that the two countries will continue to work together. She also clarified that Biden did not regret making the said statement.
The Press Secretary tried to assure the public that Biden’s harsh comments would not fuel more tension between the U.S., and Russia.