who will shake first? / Article / LSM.lv

U.S.-Russia relations are currently the worst since the Cold War, as U.S. President Joe Biden has not hidden his dislike of Russian leader Vladimir Putin since he came to power, whom he described as a “soulless murderer.” But Putin is not going to give in to American pressure either.

The US Democrats have not forgotten that already in the 2016 US presidential election, Russia was trying to prevent the victory of Democrat politician Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump was considered the preferred candidate.

Without mutual respect

At the moment, relations between the two powers are at a low point, even at a standstill, as the United States awaits the fall of Putin’s regime, but the Kremlin thinks it will survive 78-year-old Baiden (this week position).

Mutual respect for each other between the leaders of Washington and Moscow is now even less than it was during the Cold War, Sergei Radchenko, a professor of international relations at Cardiff University, told the LTV program “Panorama of the World”.

In 2011, the then US Vice President Joe Biden met in Moscow with Putin, who was the prime minister of Russia at the time, although he was still the de facto head of state. 10 years after this meeting, the president is now Biden essentially called Putin a “killer”, in the affirmative by a question from a journalist from ABC.

EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Biden told @GStephanopoulos that he agreed Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “killer” and will “pay a price” for interfering in U.S. elections. https://t.co/rIe2ms8sSv pic.twitter.com/VtAGCvF9hp

– Good Morning America (@GMA) March 17, 2021

“This is an unprecedented case in Russian-American relations, which is the worst today since the early 1990s.

During the Cold War, there was a period of even worse relations, such as when, in 1962, the two countries were on the brink of a nuclear war in the Cuban missile crisis. But, in my opinion, even then, there was more mutual respect in Moscow-Washington relations than we see today, ”says historian Radchenko.

“Murderer without a soul”

Biden also said that during a meeting with Putin 10 years ago, he had told the Russian leader that he did not think Putin had a soul. It was a reference to what was once said by former US President George W. Bush that he had seen the soul when he looked Putin in the eye.

The White House said after a high-profile interview with Biden that the president did not regret calling Putin a “killer without a soul.”

The Kremlin reacted furiously to Biden’s remarks, recalling his ambassador from Washington for consultations. “Americans are not just deadlocked in relations with Russia; I think their own ideology is also at a standstill, ”said Maria Zakharov, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. “This is a challenge for us, shameless, unworthy, unacceptable,” says Gennady Zhuganov, Russia’s communist leader.

But the same Putin seemed to take the incident quite calmly. He wished Biden health and remembered from a childhood the yard joke “who says to others is the same.”

Vladimir Putin has responded to US President Joe Biden’s accusation that he is a “killer” – by saying “it takes one to know one”.

The Russian president said he wishes Biden “good health”.

More videos here: https://t.co/9In6Tp1s5a pic.twitter.com/r1QwEAzb6L

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 18, 2021

Putin feels in his element

Radchenko says that Biden’s comments were mainly aimed at American audiences, as did Putin’s Russian audience. And he agrees – it seemed that Putin even enjoyed this exchange of words.

“I think Putin is in his element when it comes to such mutual insults. He has certainly benefited from these words. This is another difference from the Cold War. Soviet leaders did not have to worry about the domestic political angle of their foreign policy statements. But the domestic political angle is also extremely important to Putin.

Putin is a nationalist and he has to play with this audience locally. He must be shown to be a strong leader, not to be intimidated by the Americans. I think it was like a gift from God that Biden said something like that. And Putin gladly used it. He really likes this kind of word exchange. He thinks it’s his field. “

Both sides are ready to wait

Radchenko points out that at the same time, the leaders of both countries armed with nuclear weapons understand that it is important for both sides to continue the dialogue at the strategic level, to ensure that this confrontation does not bring the world to the brink of conflict. According to the expert, the dynamics of relations between the two countries have not changed.

“I think Americans are long-term. They are waiting for Putin to eventually be overthrown or simply leave, and someone else will come to power, with whom they can try to get involved and work together. Russia’s strategy now is to endure Biden and then see who will be next. “

While the United States is waiting for Putin to leave, but Russia is waiting for Biden, the question is whether the two will ever meet in person after this exchange of words. This is the case, for example, at G20 leaders’ meetings. And if so, will Biden shake hands with a man he calls a “soulless murderer”?

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