Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:23 pm
Russian President Vladimir Putin said “it takes one to know one” in response to a television interview President Joe Biden gave yesterday calling him a “killer.”
“I remember in my childhood, when we argued in the courtyard we used to say: it takes one to know one. And that’s not a coincidence, not just a children’s saying or joke,†Putin said. “We always see our own traits in other people and think they are like how we really are. And as a result we assess (a person’s) activities and give assessments.”
He added: “As he [Biden] said, we know each other personally. What would I reply to him? I would say: I wish you health. I wish you health. I say that without any irony or joke.”
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Putin’s remarks come a day after Biden said Putin will “pay a price†for interfering in United States elections after years of concerns from the intelligence community that Russian operatives meddled in the 2016 and 2020 elections to sow discord and spread disinformation.
“We had a long talk, he and I,†Biden said during an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous in an interview that aired today. “I know him relatively well. And the conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you, and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.’â€
Biden did not elaborate when asked what consequences Putin might face, only saying, “you’ll see shortly.†Biden also told Stephanopolous that he thinks Putin is a “killer†and confirmed that he once told Putin that he didn’t think he had a “soul.â€
“I did say that to him, yes,†Biden said. “And his response was, ‘We understand one another.’ I wasn’t being a wise guy. I was alone with him in his office. That’s how it came about.â€
Shortly afterward, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Biden’s remarks show he has no intention of fixing already strained relations with Moscow.
“These are really bad remarks by the U.S. president. He has clearly shown that he doesn’t want to improve relations with our country,†he said. “We will now proceed from that. “
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
