Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly challenged Joe Biden to a televised debate, after Biden referred to him as a “killer” in an ABC interview, as reported by The Daily Caller.
Putin made the challenge on Russian state TV, saying “I want to propose to President Biden to continue our discussion, but on the condition that we do it basically live, as it’s called, without any delays and directly in an open, direct discussion.”
When asked about Putin’s request, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki once again dodged the question and said that she would “have to get back to you,” while also claiming that Biden is “quite busy.”
Putin’s challenge comes after Biden referred to him as a “killer” with “no soul” in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC. Following the comments, Russia withdrew its ambassador to the United States. Putin responded to the insult by wishing Biden “good health,” which has been interpreted by some as a sarcastic jab at increasing evidence of Biden’s physical and mental health being in a state of deterioration. Putin also acknowledged the “killer” comments by saying “it takes one to know one.”
Konstantin Kosachyov, the Deputy Chairman of the upper house of Russian parliament, demanded an apology from the United States for Biden’s insult. In his comments, Kosachyov also pointed out a level of hypocrisy, noting that “this position was taken by the president of the United States that, according to professional estimates, bombs someplace on the planet every 12 minutes.” Biden has already resumed or initiated some bombing campaigns around the world since taking office, with the most prominent being an airstrike in Syria on February 25th, which allegedly targeted Iranian-backed militias in the country.