Biden: Putin is a ‘killer’, Russia to ‘pay’ for election meddling

United States President Joe Biden has said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “going to pay” following a US intelligence report that linked Moscow to an influence campaign that sought to swing the 2020 United States election for former President Donald Trump.

The report, which was published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Tuesday, concluded that Moscow sought to “push influence narratives” that included misleading or unsubstantiated claims against Biden “to US media organisations, US officials, and prominent US individuals, including some close to former President Trump and his administration”.

It also concluded that Putin was “aware and probably directed” the campaign to undermine Biden and boost Trump. US intelligence had previously concluded that Russian agents had sought to meddle in the 2016 election through a hacking and influence campaign.

In an excerpt of an interview with ABC News released on Wednesday, Biden said he had warned Putin there would be repercussions to any confirmed meddling.

“He will pay a price,” Biden told interviewer George Stephanopoulos. “We had a long talk, he and I, when we – I know him relatively well. And the conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.’” Biden was also asked if he thought Putin was a “killer”.

“I do,” he responded. (Aljazeera)