'Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin is a murderous dictator, a pure thug': US President Joe Biden

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "pure thug" and "murderous dictator," his latest pointed attack against the latter amid ongoing military operation by the Russian troops in Ukraine.

Speaking at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on St. Patrick's Day at Capitol Hill, Biden said Putin is "a murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine."

"Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin is a murderous dictator, a pure thug," #Ukraine's The Kyiv Independent quotes US President Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/SgtYYQac7n — ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2022

Earlier, in a meeting with Micheál Martin, the Taoiseach of Ireland, the President also zeroed in on the Russian leader, saying, "Putin's brutality and what he's doing and his troops are doing in Ukraine is just inhumane."

Biden made these comments came a day he called Putin a “war criminal” — a significant escalation in his rhetoric condemning the Russian leader's actions against Ukraine. 

Also on Wednesday, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's emotional address to Congress, Biden laid out new American military assistance to Ukraine, which includes weapons and drones, as well as anti-aircraft and anti-armour systems, stopping short of some of Zelenskyy's requests, such as the implementation of a no-fly zone.

Biden also credited lawmakers at the luncheon for coming together across party lines to pass the assistance package, which was part of a larger spending bill the president signed into law this week. He said the group "should have more times like this where Democrats, Republicans get together."

Reacting to his comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Biden's remarks were "absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable." Moscow considers "inadmissible and unforgivable" the words of US President Joe Biden, who called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal", said Peskov.

Peskov also said that hundreds of thousands of people around the world have been killed by US bombs. The words of Biden, who called Putin a "war criminal", are "absolutely inadmissible, unacceptable, unforgivable", said Peskov, RT reported.

"Our President is a very wise, far-sighted and cultured international figure and the head of the Russian Federation," said Peskov while answering a question as to why Putin does not answer the American leader.

Moscow cannot take into account the decision of the International Court of Justice, which demanded an immediate halt to the special military operation in Ukraine, said Peskov. He added that negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will continue.

"Our delegation, headed by (Vladimir) Medinsky, with the participation of experts and relevant departments, is ready to work around the clock, and it demonstrates this readiness. Unfortunately, we do not see a similar zeal on the Ukrainian side," Peskov added.