Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has responded to comments from his US counterpart that he is a “murderer” by repeating a tune that “people in glass houses should not throw stones.”
Speaking on Russian state television, Mr Putin also emphatically wished Joe Biden the “best health”.
Some of Mr Biden’s Russian critics have claimed that the 78-year-old suffers from dementia.
Earlier this week, the US president was interviewed on TV and asked if he thought the Russian leader was “a murderer”. Mr Biden replied, “Yes I do”, an answer that has infuriated Moscow.
These were President Putin’s first remarks after Mr Biden’s ABC interview.
Putin was asked about Biden’s comment during a video call to mark the anniversary of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, and said the comment reflected the United States’ own problems.
He pointed to the American nuclear bombing of Japan during World War II, as well as the history of slavery and the massacre of Native Americans, and pointed to the painful legacy the United States weighs.
Otherwise, where would the Black Lives [Matter] motion come from? he said, referring to racial injustice and the killing of African Americans.
The Russian leader’s comments followed an angry rebuke from the Kremlin spokesman earlier on Thursday.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov spoke to journalists during his daily press conference, describing the US president’s comments as “very bad” and suggesting that such comments had no historical precedent.
“It shows that he absolutely does not want to build relationships with our country,” he said. “And things flow from this.”
On Wednesday, as a sign of icy relations between the two nuclear powers, Russia recalled its ambassador from the US.
There has been a lot of criticism of Mr Biden’s comments in Russia.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council who was president between 2008-2012, said that “time has not spared Biden,” quoting Sigmund Freud, “Nothing takes life as much as sickness and stupidity.”
Konstantin Kosachyov, a foreign policy expert recently appointed as deputy chairman of the Senate, said Moscow was investigating a number of responses to the events in which he received no apology.
He said Mr Biden’s words were “unacceptable” and would lead to deteriorating relations between Washington and Moscow.
Usually one of Moscow’s more diplomatic voices, Mr Kosachyov said he hoped Mr Biden’s answers would come from “old age” and “hearing difficulties”.
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Diplomatic games: A poster depicting a Soviet and American flag advertises the legendary musical ‘Chess’ on Thursday in Moscow
(AFP / Getty)
Other lieutenants of the Russian political class called Mr Biden’s comments “political madness” and “hysteria”.
Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower parliament, said comments insulting Vladimir Putin insult the entire Russian nation.
“No one should talk about the head of state like that,” he said.
Andrei Turchak, general secretary of the ruling United Russia party, said Mr Biden’s response represented the “age-related dementia of the American leadership.”
The exchange of hard statements follows a declassified report from the US National Intelligence Director’s office finding that Putin had exercised influence to try to aid Trump in his failed bid to win reelection in November.
The Kremlin has dismissed the report as unfounded. However, President Biden said there would be consequences.
[Putin] will pay a price, ”said Mr. Biden in the interview, asking about the released report.