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'Be healthy’: Putin responds to US leader’s snipe by wishing Biden good health

In his Wednesday television interview Biden replied in the affirmative, when asked if he regarded Putin as a "killer"

© Alexey Druzhinin/Russia's presidential press service/TASS

MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has wished his US counterpart Joseph Biden good health in reply to the latter’s remarks made in his Wednesday television interview.

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Kremlin castigates Biden’s ‘very bad’ remarks about Putin

Interviewed on the ABC network Biden said that the Russian leadership would have to pay a price for Moscow’s alleged attempts to interfere in the US election. Also, he replied in the affirmative, when asked if he regarded Putin as a "killer".

"As far as statements by my US counterpart are concerned. What would I say to him in response? I would tell him:"Be healthy!" I wish him good health," the Russian leader said, adding that he really meant what he was saying without a pinch of irony.

Putin said that Moscow would rely on honest and decent Americans in relations with Washington.

Speaking about Russian-US relations, the Russian head of state drew attention to the difference in the views of the American people and the political establishment.

According to Putin, there are "quite a few honest, decent and warm-hearted people" in the United States who want to live in peace and friendship with Russia. "We are aware of that, and we value that, and we will rely on them in the future," the Russian leader assured.

"As for the US [political] establishment, the ruling class, its consciousness was shaped in a well-known and rather difficult environment," Putin noted.

Moscow will cooperate with Washington only on terms it finds favorable, according to Putin.

"The US authorities in general seek certain relations with us but only in areas the US interested in, and on their own terms," the Russian leader pointed out.

"They think that we are just like them but we aren’t. Our genetic, cultural and moral codes are different. However, we know how to protect our interests," Putin stressed. "We will work with them, but only in areas we are interested in and on terms we find favorable," he added. "They will have to take it into account, despite attempts to stop our development, sanctions and insults," the Russian president emphasized.

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