Russian President Vladimir Putin has recalled the Russian Ambassador in Washington following comments by US President Joe Biden in which called Putin a "killer."
Ambassador Anatoly Antonov was recalled to Moscow for consultations on "what to do and where to go in the context of relations with the US."
In an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, Biden responded to a question about whether he thought the Russian leader was a killer by saying: "I do."
Biden's remarks were met with scorn in Russia. Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said Biden's remarks showed “hysteria from impotence” and constituted an insult to the Russian Federation.
Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party and first vice-speaker of the Federation Council Andrei Turchak said that Biden's remarks constituted “an extreme degree of aggression caused by impotence."
“Biden’s statement is just a triumph of the political insanity of the United States and age-related dementia of their leader,” Turchak added, according to the Russian press service.
In the interview, Biden also accused Russia and Putin specifically of interference in the US elections and promised that Putin would pay "a price" for that interference.