US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he agrees with the assessment that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is a “killer”, reported AFP.

During an interview with ABC News broadcast, Biden said Putin would “pay a price” for trying to undermine his candidacy in the US 2020 election as alleged in a new US intelligence report.

When asked if Putin is a killer, Biden confirmed, “I do”. Biden’s  statement marked a stark contrast with predecessor Donald Trump’s steadfast refusal to say anything negative about the Russian president.

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According to Biden, he had spoken to Putin in January after assuming office. He said, “We had a long talk, he and I, I know him relatively well. The conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.”

Biden, however, did not specify if he meant Russia interfering in the US election or other behaviour to which the US objects, that includes the poisoning and jailing of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Reacting to Biden’s comments, speaker of the lower house of Russia parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin said, “Biden insulted the citizens of our country with his statement,” adding that attacks on Putin are “attacks on our country.”