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The head of the Kremlin responds to the attack of the American president and makes a surprising proposal.
Vladimir Putin: “We will defend our interests.”
Photo: Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a live debate to his American colleague Joe Biden on Friday or next Monday. He invited Biden to “continue our discussion, but on the condition that we do it live, or whatever it’s called ‘online,'” Putin said on Russian television on Thursday.
Recently there was an open verbal exchange of blows through the media between Biden and Putin. Biden’s spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, made it clear in Washington on Thursday that Biden had no regrets calling Putin a “murderer” in an interview. Biden had “given a direct answer to a direct question,” Psaki said.
In an initial reaction, Putin had shown that he was unimpressed by Biden’s verbal attack and declared that he wanted to shape future relations with Washington solely for the benefit of Moscow. After Biden’s statement that he thought Putin was a “murderer,” the Kremlin chief said in a televised speech Thursday that others should not be inferred from oneself. “We always see our own characteristics in another person and we think that he is like us,” the Russian president said in his televised statement. “It is not just a childish expression, a joke. The meaning is deep and psychological. “
Putin also wished the 78-year-old Biden “good health, without any irony” and then claimed that Moscow would not be intimidated by Washington. “We will defend our interests and work with them on terms that benefit us,” he said.
“There has never been anything like it”
The Russian president also said that Biden should look in the mirror. Facing his history, he accused the United States of “genocide against indigenous tribes” and extermination of blacks. “The United States is the only country in the world that has launched a nuclear weapon, and on a country without nuclear weapons: against Japan at the end of World War II, against Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” There was no military reason for it. “That was the direct extermination of the civilian population,” Putin said.
The Kremlin had previously described Biden’s comments about Putin as “very bad.” “Of course, there has never been anything like this in history,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.
In the interview with broadcaster ABC, Biden also said when asked that he had once openly told Putin at a meeting in the past that he thought he had no soul. “I was alone with him in his office.” He looked Putin in the eye and said, “I don’t think you have a soul.” Putin looked at him and replied: “We understand each other.”
Biden said, referring to his long history as a US vice president and senator, that he has dealt with many foreign leaders in his career. It is important to know the other. And he knows Putin quite well.
The White House has just commented on Putin’s counterattack to the interview, without giving further thought to the verbal argument. Biden’s spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that on Putin’s allegations regarding America’s history, Biden believes that “honest self-reflection” is one of America’s great strengths. There is always more to do and improve in our own country.
Psaki generally said that Putin’s and Biden’s views differed on many points. However, they agreed that both countries should work together in areas of common interest. Diplomacy is one of America’s top priorities. The president of the United States will not stop when he has concerns about certain issues, “whether in words or in deeds.”
“Very bad relationships”
Biden’s backing came from the EU, which gave Putin political responsibility for the killings in Russia. “Unfortunately, there is a long list of unsuccessful and successful assassinations against critical and independent personalities in Russia, including politicians and journalists,” said the spokesperson for the EU Foreign Affairs representative, Josep Borrell. “You know that, as president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin is ultimately responsible for Russian authorities, politics and actions.” Many cases are not investigated, remain unsolved and those responsible are not brought to justice. The EU imposed sanctions in two cases.
At the same time, the Kremlin made it clear that Russian-American relations were “very bad.” Biden has now shown that he has no interest in improving the relationship.
The Russian Foreign Ministry ordered its ambassador Anatoly Antonov to return to Moscow to protest Biden’s comments. During consultations with Antonov in Moscow, the state of relations with the United States should now be analyzed, he said. Prominent foreign politician Konstantin Kosachev described Biden’s remarks as completely inadmissible. The deputy head of the Council of the Russian Federation demanded an apology and threatened to take further action if this did not materialize. The preliminary withdrawal of the Russian ambassador from Washington is already a very serious diplomatic process.
According to US intelligence services, Russia defended then-President Donald Trump in the November elections and tried to harm Biden. The Kremlin rejected this. Biden’s rejection in Moscow is considered great, especially given his criticism of the human rights situation in Russia and the threat of tougher US sanctions. Biden had announced new punitive measures against Russia.
