US President Joe Biden snapped at a British journalist with an eight-word slapdown after being asked a question about Russia before a key meeting with Sir Keir Starmer.
Biden, 81, and the British PM both issued statements to the assembled journalists in the White House at the beginning of the talks on Friday, and the President seemed irked by persistent questioning from a reporter.
Sky News’ James Matthews can be heard on phone footage posted on social media asking what the Democrat thought of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat of war if Ukraine is permitted to strike targets deeper within Russia using weapons provided by the West.
Biden is seen turning to him and saying: “You be quiet, I’m going to speak, OK?” The US President added: “You gotta be quiet, I’m going to make a statement.”
The two leaders then made statements about the issues to be discussed, including Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Matthews then asked the question once more, to which the President finally replied: “I don’t think much of Vladimir Putin.”
It comes after Putin warned on Thursday that a decision by the UK and the US to allow Ukraine to use Western-made long-range missiles to hit strategic targets in Russia would “significantly change” the nature of the conflict and represent “nothing less than direct involvement of NATO countries”.
Starmer and Biden met one-on-one in the Oval Office ahead of a longer meeting in White House’s Blue Room where the President had the testy exchange with Matthews.
The British PM was joined by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the Labour leader’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, as well as the UK ambassador to the US Dame Karen Pierce.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also attended the meeting.
This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed he has presented Lammy and Blinken with a very “direct and detailed” vision of how his forces would use long-range missiles.
Zelensky warned that any delay allows Putin’s forces to move equipment and troops “deeper into Russian territory” and out of harm’s way.
The war-time leader has urged London and Washington to lift the ban on the UK’s Storm Shadow missiles and US ATACMS as part of a strategy to help Ukraine overcome Russia’s invading army.
Up until now, Washington has resisted Ukrainian calls to grant over fears of escalation, particularly the concern that Russia could respond by deploying nuclear weapons.
But intelligence suggesting Iran has given Moscow short-range ballistic missiles is thought to have changed the calculations in the White House and Downing Street.
Iran and Russia have both flatly denied the weapons transfer took place.
