President Joe Biden declined to call his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “killer” a second time less than two days before meeting in Geneva for their first in-person talks as presidents.
Biden chuckled into his microphone when he asked at his post-NATO press conference about Putin laughing in a weekend interview at Biden’s description of him as a “killer.”
“I’m laughing too,” Biden said Monday in Brussels.
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Biden reiterated that Putin, a former KGB agent, himself acknowledged there were “things that he would do or did do.”
“I don’t think it matters a whole lot in terms of this next meeting we’re about to have,” he said of the “killer” tag, referring to Putin as “bright,” “tough,” and “a worthy adversary.”
Biden insisted there was a consensus at the NATO gathering that his one-on-one with Putin on Wednesday is well-timed and would not be perceived as a reward for bad behavior, despite being held 100-plus days into Biden’s administration.
“I haven’t found a world leader who doesn’t think it’s just soon enough,” he said.
While not seeking conflict, Biden warned Putin he would act if Russia aggressed toward the United States or a NATO partner, condemning Russia’s treatment of its own citizens, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“Navalny’s death would be another indication that Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights. It would be a tragedy,” the president said.
Russia and China tried “to drive a wedge in our transatlantic solidarity,” Biden added, framing that falls within his larger effort to convince the alliance to take China more seriously as a threat.
“The U.S. commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty is rock solid and unshakable,” he said during his opening remarks. “NATO stands together. That’s how we’ve met every other threat in our past.”
Biden called Putin a “killer” in a TV interview in March, causing the Russian to insinuate the president was infirm and challenge him to a live debate.
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Biden also addressed concerns over the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, noting the importance of counterterrorism. He repeated his support for Ukraine, though fell short of backing its immediate inclusion in the NATO alliance, and revealed his discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were “positive and productive.”
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Tags: News, Biden, Biden Administration, Joe Biden, White House
Original Author: Naomi Lim
Original Location: Biden downplays ‘killer’ assessment of Putin ahead of summit
