Moscow expects an apology from Fox News host Bill O’Reilly for saying “Putin is a killer.”
Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov issued a public comment on Monday calling this statement “unacceptable and insulting.”
“We would prefer to receive an apology to the Russian president from a respected TV station like that,” Peskov said.
O’Reilly made the “killer” comment during Super Bowl interview with Donald Trump in which the host questioned Trump’s intention to work more closely with Russia.
Trump said that he respected Putin. “I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not, and if Russia helps us in the fight against ISIS—which is a major fight—and the Islamic terrorism all over the world, that’s a good thing.”
“But Putin is a killer,” O’Reilly said.
President shrugged off the comment responding: “There are a lot of killers. What, do you think our country is so innocent?”
Trump’s response provoked backlash among Democrats and Republicans who did not like the President putting the US on the same moral ground as Russia.
Now the Kremlin expects an apology as well.