Vlad the Killer’s riposte
WASHINGTON: Russia called its US ambassador back to Moscow for consultations after Joe Biden described Vladimir Putin as a “killer” who would “pay a price” for meddling in US elections — sparking the first major diplomatic crisis for the new US President.
In an interview with ABC News, Mr Biden was asked about a US intelligence report that has confirmed the Kremlin tried to harm his candidacy in the November 2020 election and help Donald Trump win.
“He will pay a price,” the 78year-old Mr Biden said.
Asked if he thought Mr Putin — who has been accused of ordering the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and other rivals — is a “killer”, Mr Biden said: “I do.”
The comments were aired as the US Commerce Department announced it was toughening the export restrictions imposed on Russia as punishment for the assassination attempt on Mr Navalny’s life.
Russia immediately summoned its envoy home, although the State Department did not reciprocate by recalling its ambassador to Moscow.
“The Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, has been invited to come to Moscow for consultations conducted with the aim of analysing what should be done and where to go in the context of ties with the United States,” Russia’s foreign ministry said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti that “responsibility for further deterioration of Russian-American ties fully rests with the United States”.
In Washington, the State Department noted the Russian move and said the US would “remain clear-eyed about the challenges that Russia poses”.
A State Department spokeswoman said Washington’s envoy would remain in Moscow in the hope of maintaining “open channels of communication” and in order to “reduce the risk of miscalculation between our countries”.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked by reporters whether the President considered Mr Putin literally or metaphorically a killer.
“He does not hold back on his concerns about what we see as malign and problematic actions,” Ms Psaki said, citing Russia’s election interference, Mr Navalny’s poisoning, cyber attacks and bounties placed on US troops in Afghanistan.
“He’s not going to hold back in his direct communications, nor is he going to hold back publicly,” she said. “We are not going to look the other way, as we saw a little bit over the past four years (with Mr Trump).”
Mr Biden’s assessment that Mr Putin is a “killer” is a stark contrast with Mr Trump’s steadfast refusal to say anything negative about the Russian President.
In a 2017 interview with Fox News, Mr Trump was asked about Mr Putin being a “killer”. “There are a lot of killers,” he replied. “You think our country’s so innocent?”
The US intelligence report said Mr Putin “was aware of and probably directed” Russia’s attempt to get Mr Trump re-elected last year.