Washington:
Russia referred to as its US ambassador back to Moscow for consultations on Wednesday just after Joe Biden described Vladimir Putin as a “killer” who would “pay a price” for election meddling, prompting the initially key diplomatic crisis for the new American president.
In an interview with ABC News, Biden was asked about a US intelligence report that the Russian leader attempted to harm his candidacy in the November 2020 election and market that of Donald Trump.
“He will pay a price,” the 78-year-old Biden mentioned.
Asked if he believed Putin, who has been accused of ordering the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and other rivals, is a “killer,” Biden mentioned: “I do.”
The comments have been aired as the US Commerce Department announced it was toughening export restrictions imposed on Russia as punishment for Navalny’s poisoning.
Russia responded by summoning its envoy household, but stressed that it wanted to avoid an “irreversible deterioration” in relations.
“The Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, has been invited to come to Moscow for consultations conducted with the aim of analyzing what should be done and where to go in the context of ties with the United States,” the Russian foreign ministry mentioned.
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 mentioned the United States will “remain clear-eyed about the challenges that Russia poses.”
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki was asked by reporters no matter if the president considers Putin actually or just metaphorically a killer.
“He does not hold back on his concerns about what we see as malign and problematic actions,” Psaki mentioned, citing election interference, Navalny’s poisoning, cyberattacks and bounties 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 mentioned. “We are not going to look the other way as we saw a little bit over the last four years.”
“From his first phone call with President Putin, President Biden has been clear that the United States will also respond to a number of destabilizing actions,” she mentioned.
Asked about that phone contact by ABC News, Biden mentioned he had a “long talk” with Putin just after taking workplace in January.
“The conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared’,” Biden mentioned.
Biden’s assessment that Putin is a “killer” marked a stark contrast with Trump’s steadfast refusal to say something adverse about the Russian president.
In a 2017 interview with Fox News, Trump was asked about Putin getting a “killer.” “There are a lot of killers,” he replied. “You think our country’s so innocent?”
– ‘Know the other guy’ –
Despite his thoughts about the Russian leader, Biden mentioned “there are places where it’s in our mutual interest to work together.”
“That’s why I renewed the START agreement with him,” he mentioned of the nuclear treaty. “That occurred while he’s doing this, but that’s overwhelmingly in the interest of humanity, that we diminish the prospect of a nuclear exchange.”
Biden mentioned he had discovered from dealing with “an awful lot” of leaders for the duration of a political profession spanning pretty much 5 decades — like eight years as vice president — that the most crucial point was to “just know the other guy.”
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia’s reduced home of parliament, denounced Biden for agreeing with the description of Putin as a “killer.”
“Biden insulted the citizens of our country,” Volodin mentioned. “Attacks on (Putin) are attacks on our country.”
The Kremlin on Wednesday also dismissed the US determination that Russia had targeted election infrastructure for the duration of the 2020 presidential election.
“It is absolutely groundless and unsubstantiated,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned, and an “excuse” to impose new sanctions.
– Tense relations –
According to US intelligence, Putin and other senior officials “were aware of and probably directed” Russia’s influence operation to sway the vote in Trump’s favor.
It concluded, nonetheless, that the election final results have been not compromised.
Russia faced allegations of US election meddling in 2016 for launching a social media campaign to increase Trump’s candidacy and discredit his opponent Hillary Clinton.
After Biden’s victory more than Trump, Putin was amongst the final globe leaders to congratulate the newly elected Democratic president.
Tensions amongst the former Cold War rivals have soared in current months more than hacking allegations and US demands that Russia free of charge Navalny.
The Commerce Department mentioned the new sanctions avoid export to Russia of more products controlled for national safety factors, like technologies and application.
“The Department of Commerce is committed to preventing Russia from accessing sensitive US technologies that might be diverted to its malign chemical weapons activities,” it mentioned.
Navalny returned to Russia in January just after getting treated for the poisoning in Germany, and is serving a two-and-a-half year jail term in a penal colony outdoors Moscow.
The newest sanctions add to US penalties imposed on Moscow due to the fact Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
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