Biden agrees that Russian leader Putin is a ‘killer’
US President also says his Russian counterpart will 'pay a price' for meddling in US election
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden said he agrees with the assessment that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is a "killer".
In an interview with ABC News broadcast yesterday, Mr Biden also said Mr Putin would "pay a price" for trying to undermine his candidacy in the US 2020 election as alleged in a new US intelligence report.
Asked if he thought Mr Putin, who is accused of being ruthless with his opponents, is "a killer", Mr Biden said: "I do."
The statement marked a stark contrast with predecessor Donald Trump's steadfast refusal to say anything negative about the Russian President.
Mr Biden said he had spoken to Mr Putin in January after taking office.
"We had a long talk, he and I, I know him relatively well," Mr Biden said.
"The conversation started off - I said, 'I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.'"
He did not specify if he meant Russia interfering in the US election or other behaviour to which the US objects, such as the poisoning and jailing of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
Russia reacted furiously to Mr Biden's comments on Mr Putin being a killer.
"Biden insulted the citizens of our country with his statement," State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on Telegram, adding that attacks on Mr Putin are "attacks on our country".
Mr Biden said Mr Putin will face consequences for directing efforts to swing the 2020 US presidential election to Mr Trump and that they would come soon.
Asked what consequences would come, he said: "You'll see shortly."
His comments come after a US intelligence report on Tuesday bolstered longstanding allegations that Mr Putin was behind Moscow's election interference.
MUTUAL INTEREST
At the same time, Mr Biden noted there are "places where it is in our mutual interest to work together" such as renewing the Start nuclear agreement, adding that the two leaders have a known history.
The Kremlin yesterday dismissed the report as "absolutely groundless".
"We consider this report to be wrong, it is absolutely groundless and unsubstantiated," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday. - AFP, REUTERS
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