19 March,2021 05:28 AM IST | Moscow | Agencies
US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pic/AFP
A senior Russian lawmaker warned on Thursday that Moscow would follow up on its move to recall its ambassador in Washington with other moves if the United States (US) fails to offer an explanation and apology for President Joe Biden's remarks.
In a television interview aired on Wednesday, Biden was asked whether he thought Putin is a killer and said, "I do." Konstantin Kosachev, a deputy speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said Biden's "boorish statement" marks a watershed. "Such assessments are inadmissible for a statesman of his rank," Kosachev said.
"Such statements are unacceptable under any circumstances. They inevitably lead to a sharp exacerbation of our bilateral ties." Russia announced on Wednesday it is recalling its ambassador to the US for consultations. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova blamed the US for bringing bilateral ties to a "dead end," adding that "we are interested in preventing their irreversible degradation, if the Americans are aware of the associated risks," she added.
Commenting on the Russian move on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki emphasised that "we will be direct, we will speak out on areas where we have concerns, and it will certainly be, as the president said last night - certainly, the Russians will be held accountable for the actions that they have taken."
The exchange of tough statements comes on the heels of a declassified report from the US national intelligence director's office that finds President Vladimir Putin authorised influence operations to help Donald Trump in last November's presidential election. "(Putin) will pay a price," Biden said in the interview, asked about the declassified report. In Moscow, Kosachev warned on Thursday that Russia's response wouldn't be limited to recalling the Russian ambassador "if the American side fails to offer explanation and excuse." He wouldn't elaborate on what other action the Kremlin may take.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it still recommends using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as the benefits outweigh its risks. "Vaccination against COVID-19 will not reduce illness or deaths from other causes. Thromboembolic events are known to occur frequently. Venous thromboembolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease globally," the WHO said.
Pakistani authorities on Thursday placed more Coronavirus hotspots under lockdown and warned people to take caution as the country witnessed the highest number of new daily infections this year amid a poor response to the vaccination drive.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the European Union (EU) might restrict vaccine exports to countries who have higher inoculation rates, stressing the necessity to ensure reciprocity and proportionality of the vaccine exports.
COVID-19 variants are spreading quickly across Canada as some provinces have eased restrictions after cases began to fall last month, according to health authorities. A total of 4,086 "variants of concern" cases have been reported across the country as of Wednesday.
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