US President Joe Biden provided an explanation to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin about a previous interview in which the POTUS answered affirmatively when asked whether he considered the Russian head of state a “killer”, ABC News reports, citing 'Peril', a new book penned by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.
According to the media outlet, the episode occurred on 13 April during a phone conversation between the two presidents.
"I'm upset you called me a killer," Putin allegedly said during the exchange.
In response, Biden insisted that the remark he made in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on 16 March was "not something premeditated", the media outlet notes.
"I was asked a question. I gave an answer. It was an interview on a totally different topic," Biden explained.
The book, which was obtained by the media outlet before its release on 21 September, reportedly offers insights into the first months of Biden’s presidency, mentioning, for example, how the POTUS and his advisers "hated to utter Trump's name".
"Trump's existence permeated the White House, even the residence. One night, Biden wandered into a room where a huge video screen covered the wall. To relax, Trump used to upload programs to play golf virtually on the world's most famous courses," the book’s authors wrote. "'What a f------ a------,' Biden once said as he surveyed the former president's toys."
The book also reportedly mentions how Biden’s aides allegedly worked to "keep him away from ‘unscripted events or long interviews’ to avoid gaffes," as the media outlet puts it.