President Joe Biden says he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin is a killer.
In an interview with ABC News aired Wednesday, the interviewer George Stephanopoulos asked Biden "So you know Vladimir Putin. You think he's a killer?"
"Mmm hmm, I do," Biden replied.
Biden's response came in the context of his adminstration's release of an unclassified intelligence report on foreign meddling in the 2020 election that concluded Putin oversaw sweeping efforts aimed at "denigrating" Biden’s candidacy.
"He will pay a price," Biden told Stephanopoulos. oAsked what the consequences would come, he said, "You'll see shortly."
Russia called the report's claims baseless.
At the same time, Biden noted that "there's places where it's in our mutual interest to work together" such as renewing the START nuclear agreement, adding that the two leaders have a known history.
"I know him relatively well," Biden said, adding that "the most important thing dealing with foreign leaders in my experience ... is just know the other guy."
© 2024 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.