Russian President Vladimir Putin has challenged U.S. President Joe Biden to a live debate.
The challenge was birthed after an interview with ABC News, where Biden called the Russian leader a killer. With regards to a U.S. intelligence report claiming Russia undermined the U.S. election in 2020 through a disinformation campaign to hurt Biden’s results.
“He will pay a price, we had a long talk — he and I. I know him relatively well. The conversation started up and I said ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared,'” said Biden.
George Stephanopoulos then asked Biden about whether he once told Putin that “he does not have a soul.” Biden confirmed;
“I did say that to him yes. 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 is when President Bush had said ‘I’ve looked into his eyes and saw his soul.’ I said I looked in your eyes and I don’t think you have a soul and he looked back at me and he said ‘We understand each other.'”
“Just know the other guy,” said Biden reflecting on the “most important thing in dealing with foreign leaders.”
Stephanopoulos replied asking;
“So you know Vladimir Putin — you think he’s a killer?” Biden responded with “Mmmhmmm, I do.”
“So what price must he pay?,” asked Stephanopoulos.
“A price he’s going to pay — well, you’ll see shortly,” said Biden.
The findings of the report, Moscow rejects with the Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying;
“Russia has nothing to do with campaigns against any candidates. In this regard, we say that this report is wrong. It has absolutely no foundation nor any evidence,” he said.
Biden doesn’t regret calling Putin a killer, as White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.
“No the president gave a direct answer to a direct question,” said Psaki on Thursday.
In response to all this, Putin put out a response to the comments and challenged Biden to a live debate that is unscripted as soon as tomorrow or Monday — he doesn’t want to put it off for long.
“I don’t want to put this off for long. I want to go the taiga this weekend to relax a little,” Putin said to an RT reporter. “So we could do it tomorrow or Monday. We are ready at any time convenient for the American side.”
Psaki was asked about it at Thursday’s press briefing, saying that Biden is “quite busy.”
“I’ll have to get back to you if that is something we’re entertaining. I would say that the president already had a conversation with President Putin,” Psaki said. “The president, of course, will be in Georgia tomorrow and quite busy.”
Putin wants to do the debate “without any delays and directly in an open direct discussion,” he said.
Donald Trump Jr. then Tweeted regarding the proposed debate saying that Biden can barely get it right with a teleprompter.
Some like Trump Jr. are cringing at the idea of a debate remembering all the times Biden forgets things — like the fact that he’s President and not his VP Kamala Harris.
But that’s exactly why Putin wants this debate — isn’t it?
“With regard to my U.S. colleague’s remark, we have, indeed, as he said, met in person. What would I tell him? I would say ‘stay healthy.’ I wish him good health,” Mr. Putin said, adding “I am saying this without irony or tongue in cheek.”
Will we see a debate? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see as Biden may forget.
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