Joe Biden's got this story he likes to tell, whenever he talks about Vladimir Putin.

Slate's Josh Keating has heard the story a couple of times.

It's a very kind of weird story where apparently he met Putin while he was vice president.

Biden told this story to George Stephanopoulos recently.

You said you know he doesn't have a soul.

I did say that to him, yes.

Josh says, the thing that's weird about this story,

especially the way Biden told it on national television,

is that it's not how we're used to hearing presidents talk

about their counterparts in other countries. I wouldn't mean a wise guy. I was alone with him in his office. That's how it came about. It was when President Bush had said, I've looked in his eyes and saw a soul. I said, look to your eyes, and I don't think you have a soul. And look back at me, he we said we understand each other. Look, most important thing...

Then Stephanopoulos followed up and asked Biden,

does he think Putin is a killer?

And Biden, you know, rather than he having an awing, he just said, I do.

Did that surprise you?

It is surprising.

Stephanopoulos was definitely setting him up.

Normally a president would have found a way to kind of answer that without answering it,

rather than just saying, yes, I do think he's a killer.

Can you tell me what Vladimir Putin's response to this was?

You said it was something like the I know you are, but what am I response?

Yeah, exactly.

I mean, he basically used this sort of Russian kindergarten taunt, apparently.

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