Here's the key part of the pre-recorded interview with George Stephanopoulos which aired early Wednesday:
Asked whether he believes Mr Putin is a "killer" in a pre-taped interview that aired on Wednesday, the president responded: "I do."
"The price he's going to pay, you'll see shortly," he said.
Mr Biden recalled meeting Mr Putin, during which he reportedly told him that he "doesn't have a soul": "I wasn't being a wise guy."
"He looked back at me and said, 'We understand each other'," Mr Biden said.
"I know him relatively well," Biden had introduced the comments with, and added that "the most important thing dealing with foreign leaders in my experience... is just know the other guy."
This past conversation wherein Biden says he told the Russian president he doesn't think he has a soul has echoes with the 2001 face-to-face meeting between George W. Bush and Putin.
Bush came to the opposite conclusion at the time: "I looked the man in the eye...I was able to get a sense of his soul," according to that famous and widely mocked moment of Bush's soul-gazing...
Biden recounted to Stephanopoulos that during the "long talk" with the Russian leader, he informed his Russian counterpart, "I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared" — speaking of the cyberattack and election meddling allegations.
"He will pay a price," Biden said. "We had a long talk, he and I, when we -- I know him relatively well. And the conversation started off, I said, 'I know you and you know me. If I establish thisoccurred, then be prepared."The 15-page Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessment is being widely reported as concluding that central to the Russian 'interference' was an effort to promote "Donald Trump and right-wing conspiracy theories in an attempt to discredit Mr Biden."
Stephanopoulos asked: "So you know Vladimir Putin. You think he's a killer?"
"Mmm hmm, I do," Biden replied.
While the president said "you'll see" that Putin is "going to pay," he did not elaborate.
He did say, though, that it was possible to "walk and chew gum at the same time for places where it's in our mutual interest to to work together." — ABC News
...So that's what it's all about, apparently - resurrecting the Russiagate farce and repackaging it in different form after it failed to "stick" despite the years-long obsession of the media and political pundit class.
Meanwhile the Kremlin indicated Wednesday it's taking "necessary measures" to prepare for any looming new US sanctions expected in the wake of the intelligence report, the conclusions of which it's vehemently denied. Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov slammed the allegations and "baseless" and ultimately "not backed by any evidence".
The Russian ruble tumbled on the headline Wednesday...
...sinking down more than 1.5% against the dollar after Biden's remarks aired, the most significant intraday drop since Feb. 25.
Reader Comments
Mr Biden recalled meeting Mr Putin, during which he reportedly told him that he "doesn't have a soul" : "I wasn't being a wise guy." "He looked back at me and said, 'We understand each other'," Mr Biden said.
Did anyone here on SOTT understand what we just read there? Biden has totally revealed his intentions and motivations to Putin. The stupidity of that move in diplomacy and politics is stunning. If Biden represents America on the world stage, God help this country. We are led by, not just psychopaths, but moronic psychopaths.
What is Biden going to do when Russia, China, Iran, and the Stans form EATO - a mutual defense treaty organization in which an attack on one is an attack on all? Go to war with the whole Asian continent? That is what his ill-considered words will lead to.
If you can see that Epstein was an evil depraved pedo it doesn't make you one. This narrative is good to silence opposition though. It's actually the psychos making accusations that you need to watch and you won't often know them until you see them accusing anybody who opposed them of what it is the psycho actually does.
Putin can be a killer and if war is unavoidable he can handle it. He also knows tradecraft and nationalism. Joe only knows to do as he is told so he can keep getting kids and not have his dance card pulled.