Kremlin demands apology for Putin 'killer' question
February 6, 2017
Moscow has decried comments made by Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, in which he labeled Vladimir Putin 'a killer' during an interview with Donald Trump. The US president had repeatedly reiterated his respect for Putin.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/M.Klimentyev
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The Kremlin on Monday demanded an apology from US television channel Fox News over what it said were "unacceptable and insulting" comments by presenter Bill O'Reilly about Russian leader Vladimir Putin in an interview with US President Donald Trump.
"We consider such words from a Fox News correspondent unacceptable and offensive," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "To be honest we would prefer to receive an apology addressed to the president from such a respected television company."
"We've got a lot of killers. You think our country's so innocent?" Trump answered, adding "take a look at what we've done too. We've made a lot of mistakes."
When asked of Trump's response, Peskov said "in this case I would prefer to leave this without comment."
Fox News and O'Reilly have so far not responded to the Kremlin's remarks.
Asked later on Sunday to clarify his comments, Trump told Westwood One Sports Radio: "Well, I don't have to clarify it. The question was do you respect him - he's a head of a major country."
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Republicans reject US-Russia comparisons
Trump's comments, which were broadcast ahead of the Super Bowl, irritated a number of congressional Republicans, who swiftly dismissed any equivalence between the US and Russia.
Speaking to CNN, Mitch McConnel, the Senate leader, said of Putin: "He is a former KGB agent (and) a thug."
However, Vice President Mike Pence later told NBC that Trump would not "let semantics or the arguments of the past get in the way of exploring the ability to work together with Russia."
Trump's opinions and discourse on Putin have been closely scrutinized after US intelligence agencies accused Moscow of sponsoring hackers who tried to sway the outcome of the presidential election in the Republican's favor.
dm/rt (AFP, Reuters)
Hacking the 2016 US election: a timeline
The US expelled 35 Russian diplomats over a bitter row between the two countries. The Kremlin denied US intelligence reports that it supported hackers who tried to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/K. Kudryavtsev
Democrats in the dark
Over the summer, a security company hired by the Democratic National Convention tells the DNC that they have been successfully infiltrated by hackers for more than year. Two groups, known as Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear, both have links to the Russian government, the Washington Post reports.
Image: Reuters/M. Kauzlarich
All eyes on Russia
At the end of July, the FBI launches an investigation into whether or not the Russian government ordered the DNC hack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calls the move "paranoid."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
'Russia, if you're listening'
On the campaign trail, Republican nominee Donald Trump encourages Russia to "find the 30,000 emails that are missing." In a series of debates with rival Hillary Clinton, Trump casts doubt on Moscow's role in hacks that targeted the DNC and Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
WikiLeaks targets Clinton
Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks begins releasing slightly compromising emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Co-founder Julian Assange defends targeting Clinton, saying Trump's own statements are indictment enough of the Republican nominee. Over a period of months, WikiLeaks consistently denies allegations that its sources are based in Russia.
Image: Reuters/A. Schmidt
CIA, FBI investigations
In a rare moment of complete agreement for the two biggest intelligence agencies in the US, both the FBI and CIA come to the conclusion that the Russian government sought to influence the US election by promoting unfavorable coverage of Hillary Clinton.
Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Donald and Vladimir
Trump, who has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calls the intelligence reports "ridiculous." Anti-Clinton voices slam the probe as a distraction meant to discredit the now president-elect. This puts Trump at odds with Republicans in Congress who call for an independent investigation.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Thew & A. Druzhinin/Ria Novosti/Kremlin Pool
Obama expels diplomats
At the end of December, the Obama administration expels 35 Russian diplomats and shuts down two Russian intelligence compounds as the Kremlin continues to deny having a role in the summer's cyberattacks. President Putin eschews direct retaliation, saying he will wait to see how President-elect Trump's Russia policies play out.
