The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned the US it's on the verge of cutting ties between the two countries following 'personal insults' against President Vladimir Putin.
US Ambassador John Sullivan was given the warning earlier today, Monday 21 March, due to ‘unacceptable statements’ US President Joe Biden made about Putin.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: "Such statements from the American president, unworthy of a statesman of such high rank, put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture."
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The ministry also warned Sullivan that hostile actions from the US would be hit with a ‘decisive and firm response’.
Last week, Biden called Putin a ‘war criminal’ and branded him a ‘murderous dictator’ in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin called the comments ‘personal insults’ to their president, according to Reuters.
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “We hear and see statements that are actually personal insults to President Putin.
"Given such irritability from Mr Biden, his fatigue and sometimes forgetfulness...fatigue that leads to aggressive statements, we will not make harsh assessments, so as not to cause more aggression."
Last week, the Kremlin announced that it had placed sanctions on Biden alongside several other US political figures.
The 'stop list' bars Biden and 12 others named on the list from entering Russia, the state-backed news agency TASS confirmed.
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As well as Biden, the sanctions were also placed on Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and CIA Director William Burns, as well as high profile non-elected figures including Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that although the list includes several high-ranking White House officials, the country will maintain normal diplomatic relations with the US and would still contact those named on the list if necessary.
The Kremlin has long promised that it was preparing a 'strong response' to Western countries after unprecedented sanctions were placed on Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.
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Topics: Russia, US News, Politics, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden
Claire Reid