"There is no moral equivalent between that butcher and thug and KGB colonel and the United States of America," McCain stated on Tuesday. To "allege some kind of moral equivalence between the two is either terribly misinformed or incredibly biased."
McCain comments appeared aimed at US President Donald Trump, who in an interview with Fox News on Sunday suggested it was not fair to characterize Putin as a "killer" because there have been many killers in the United States and Washington is not so innocent.
McCain’s comment comes amid a backlash over Trump’s interview.
Vice President Mike Pence defended Trump, noting the president did not try to make a moral equivalency between Russia and the United States.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov originally asked Fox News for an apology over its characterization of Putin, but Fox host Bill O’Reilly told the Kremlin to check back in 2023. Responding in kind, Peskov said the Kremlin would ask for the apology again at that time.
