President Joe Biden says Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a killer with no soul and vowed he will “pay the price” for interfering in the 2020 U.S. election.
When asked what that price will be Biden said: “Well you’ll see shortly.”
According to a recent U.S intelligence report Putin pushed misinformation during the 2020 election campaign about Joe Biden to help boost Trump’s reelection chances, as per CNBC news.
Biden’s remarks were made on ABC News in an interview with George Stephanopoulo.
The interview coincided with the release of the declassified intelligence report which confirmed Russia’s interference in the election.
“A key element of Moscow’s strategy this election cycle was its use of people linked to Russian intelligence to launder influence narratives including misleading or unsubstantiated allegations against President Biden through US media organizations, US officials, and prominent US individuals, some of whom were close to former President Trump and his administration,” the report said.
Last month Biden said he had issued a stark warning to Putin that the U.S. would “raise the cost on Russia” in order to defend the nation.
“I made it very clear to President Putin in a manner very different from my predecessor that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russian aggressive actions, interfering with our elections, cyberattacks, poisoning its citizens, are over,” Biden said on February 4.
Biden also called for the release of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who was sentenced to more than two years in prison. Navalny was detained on his return to Russia after being poisoned last year. He blames the Kremlin for his poisoning.
When Biden was asked if he believes Putin is a killer, the president replied, “I do.”
Biden also confirmed that he told Putin in 2011, while serving as U.S. vice president, that Putin does not “have a soul.”
“I wasn’t being a wise guy, I was alone with him in his office,” Biden said. “That’s how it came about. It was when President [George W.] Bush had said ‘I’ve looked in his eyes and saw his soul.’
“I said I looked in your eyes and I don’t think you have a soul. And he looked back and said, ‘we understand each other,’” Biden added, as per CNBC News.
He also said he had told Putin during a call in late January to “be prepared” if he had confirmation that the Russia did interfere in the election.
“The conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared,’” Biden told ABC News in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America.”
Putin quickly fired back at Biden’s comments. In response to the president saying he was a killer Putin said: “It takes one to know one.”
“I would say to him: ‘I wish you good health,’” Putin said Thursday, as per Bloomberg News adding that Moscow would continue to work with Washington in areas of common interest.
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