Russian President Vladimir Putin is being driven bonkers by U.S. President Joe Biden. After four years of Trump-era support and zero criticism coming the American leader Putin is now facing a formidable foe.
President Biden in a Wednesday interview declared that Putin will “pay a price” for his attack on the 2020 U.S. election, after the U.S. Intelligence Community released a declassified report. Asked by ABC News if he thinks the Russian president is a “killer,” Biden said “I do.” There is strong evidence to support that claim.
Putin’s response?
“It takes one to know one,” the Russian president retorted. A Russian lawmaker is demanding an apology.
Russia then immediately recalled its Ambassador to the U.S.
On Thursday Putin’s actions revealed just how outraged and un-characteristically out of control Putin has become.
“President Vladimir Putin responded Thursday to U.S. President Joe Biden’s description of the Russian leader as a killer by citing America’s past and present troubles, from slavery and the slaughter of Native Americans to racial injustice,” the AP reports.
He pointed at the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan during World War II, as well as its history of slavery and slaughtering Native Americans, noting the painful legacies weighing on the United States.
“Otherwise, where would the Black Lives Matter movement come from?” he said, citing racial injustice and the killing of African Americans.
Putin, given his history of allegedly poisoning adversaries, also appeared to threaten Biden:
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “there hasn’t been anything like this in history,” CNN notes. He declared U.S.-Russia relations “very bad.”
“When asked how it can affect relations, Peskov said ‘it is absolutely clear how,’ but refused to elaborate,” CNN adds.
“These are very bad statements by the President of the United States. He definitely does not want to improve relations with us, and we will continue to proceed from this,” Peskov complained.
And now, in the latest development, Putin has invited President Biden to a live video debate, essentially a U.S.-Russia Zoom call.
ABC News Radio foreign correspondent Tom Rivers reports Putin wants a “live, online” meeting with Biden:
Apparently quoting the Russian president Rivers says Putin wants a “live geo-political debate, and soon.”
ABC News’ Moscow reporter posted Russian video of Putin.
A Google translation of the tweet reads: “Putin invited Biden to talk live: In order not to dive in absentia, I want to propose to continue our discussions. But on condition that we do it actually live – online. Without any delay, but in an open, direct discussion.”