1:0 in Favor of Putin: German Die Zeit Publication

The incident between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been addressed in detail by Michael Thumann, a journalist for the German publication Die Zeit. Below is a concise summary of the author's article.

"Joe Biden has labeled Vladimir Putin a murderer. This statement will leave a mark on his relationship with the Russian president. Are we on the brink of a dangerous escalation?" Thumann begins his article by posing this question.

"Let’s take a step back. Biden’s predecessor, Barack Obama, also once insulted Putin by calling Russia a 'regional power' after its invasion of Crimea in 2014. At that time, Moscow was more outraged, as from a Russian perspective, being denigrated is worse than verbal condemnation," the journalist notes.

Thumann emphasizes in his article that, despite the recent incident, Putin wished Biden good health, invited him to a debate, and mentioned in his response that such words actually characterize the individuals who utter them. "1:0 in favor of Putin," he clarifies.

According to the article's author, there won't be any immediate consequences. “Joe Biden has become the first president since Ronald Reagan not to start his presidency by restoring relations with Russia. He knows Putin well, as he served as vice president during Obama’s administration when he navigated through several crises, from Crimea to Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election. 'You don’t have a soul,' he once told Putin, to which the Russian president responded, 'We understand each other,'” the author states.

Regarding the deterioration of US-Russia relations, Thumann asserts that, recalling recent events, the relations between the superpowers will remain at a 'freezing temperature,' but dialogue will continue between those who call each other 'murderers.'

It should be noted that earlier, Biden responded positively to media inquiries about whether he considers Putin a murderer and stated that the Russian president would 'pay the price' for allegedly meddling in the US elections.