Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday mocked his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden, overcoming a war of words between the two world leaders.
Putin said “he only knows one man” after Biden, an earlier day, said he thought the Russian leader was a “killer”.
Biden made the comment in an interview with ABC News that aired Wednesday. When asked if he thought the Russian leader, who is accused of ordering the poisoning of Alexey Navalny and other rivals, is a “killer”, Biden replied: “I do. “
Biden also said Putin had no soul, and said he would pay a price for a Russian prosecution in the November 2020 U.S. primary school election, something the Kremlin denies.
Putin said on Thursday: “I remember, as a child, when we argued in the courtyard, we used to say: ‘He has to know a man.’ And that’s not a coincidence, ‘ not just a phrase or a children’s joke.
“We always see our own qualities in others and think they are what we really are. And, as a result, we evaluate [a person’s] activities and providing assessments.
“Like him [Biden] said, we know each other personally. What would I respond to? I would say: I wish you health. I wish you health. I say that without irony or jokes. “
In a very unusual move after Biden’s interview, Russia said it was reminding the ambassador to the United States for emergency consultations on the future of US-Russia relations.
Russia’s embassy in Washington, DC said in a statement that Anatoly Antonov will leave the USA on Saturday.
She said that “some misinterpretation of high-ranking U.S. officials has put existing controversial relationships at risk of collapse”.
Russian lawmakers urge ‘difficult’ response
Shortly before Putin spoke on Thursday, the Kremlin quoted Dmitry Peskov as saying that Biden’s comments indicated that he was not interested in repairing ties with Moscow.
“These are very bad comments by the president of the USA.” He has made it clear that he does not want to develop a better relationship with our country, ”said Peskov. “We’ll move on from there now.”
Konstantin Kosachyov, vice-chairman of Russia’s upper house of parliament, said Biden’s comments would already have bad ties, and ended any hope in Moscow about a change in U.S. policy.
Kosachyov said that bringing back Antonov’s ambassador was a reasonable step.
“I suspect it won’t be the last one if America ‘s explanation or apology doesn’t follow,” he said in a Facebook post.
Artur Chilingarov, a pro-Kremlin lawyer in the lower house of parliament, called a “harsh response” from Moscow, in remarks made to Russia’s Ekho Moskvy radio station.
US tightens sanctions over Navalny
Moscow’s ties to the West, which have been mourning at low levels since the Cold War since 2014, have come under renewed pressure in recent months over imprisoned Navalny, Navalny. in Russia.
Western powers, including the US, have called for Navalny’s release. Russia has dismissed these calls as inappropriate intervention in domestic matters.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Commerce tightened sanctions on some exports to Russia as a penalty for Navalny poisoning in August last year.
The department said the move would strengthen restrictions originally imposed in response to the March 2018 poisoning of information by former Russian military officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, by zero agent at weapon level.
Moscow has denied any position in all cases.
The U.S. is expected to prepare further sanctions against Russia for claiming to have been charged in the 2020 election.
“You’ll see soon,” Biden told ABC, when asked what effect Russia would have.
Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow expected an explanation for Biden’s comments, Interfax news agency reported.