The already chilly U.S.- Russia relationship descended into a rhetorical and diplomatic deep freeze Thursday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin bristling at President Biden ’s …
The already chilly U.S.- Russia relationship descended into a rhetorical and diplomatic deep freeze Thursday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin bristling at President Biden ’s claim that he is a “killer” and invoking the atomic bombings of Japan, slavery and the murder of Native Americans in a stunning broadside against the White House and America as a whole. Russian officials and lawmakers rushed to condemn Mr. Biden ’s remarks and, in a highly unusual move, Moscow’s ambassador to the U.S. was hastily recalled for “consultations.” The rapid fallout from Mr. Biden’s seemingly off-the-cuff remark — offered during an interview with ABC News earlier this week and referencing Mr. Putin’s alleged poisoning of political rivals — had some wondering whether Mr. Biden appreciated the force of his language. While the White House defended the remarks — and the tougher stance against Russia the new administration says it is pursuing, specialists say this week’s back-and-forth has left already strained bilateral relations in an incredibly fragile, uncertain state. “Things are not in a good place, and how we climb out of this hole is going to be difficult,” said Jim Townsend, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy during the Obama administration. “It’s certainly not going to be forgotten and it’s not going to blow over.” Recalling an ambassador, he added, “particularly between these two countries, is a big deal. How this plays out, I don’t know.” The delicate state of play between the U.S. and Russia could have far-reaching consequences. Despite its reduced state compared to Soviet times, Russia is the world’s second largest nuclear power, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, a global energy powerhouse and a significant player in Central Asia, the Middle East, East Asia and Iran. Even as the war of words was escalating Thursday, U.S. officials were attending a multilateral peace conference organized by the Kremlin seeking to save the sinking peace process in Afghanistan. The two nations had also expressed hope of working together on future arms control efforts, such as the extension of the New START nuclear treaty agreed to earlier this year. While Mr. Biden said there are key areas where the U.S. and Russia must collaborate, the deepening rift imperils those efforts. Mr. Biden did not volunteer the word “killer” during his interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. But as the two men were discussing the poisoning of key Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, an incident the administration has pinned on Mr. Putin, Mr. Stephanopoulos asked whether Mr. Biden believes the Russian leader fits that description. “I do,” Mr.
