Footage from "The Daily Show" on Thursday.
U.S. talk show hosts have taken a stab at Vladimir Putin's op-ed in The New York Times in which the Russian leader appealed to " the American people and their American leaders" to drop plans for a military intervention in Syria.
Comedian Jon Stewart, speaking on his "The Daily Show" television program Thursday night, called Putin the "Larry David of international diplomacy," for writing the op-ed just as negotiations were nearing success with Obama pledging to work with Russia toward a peaceful solution to a dispute over an allegedly government-orchestrated chemical attack outside Damascus on Aug. 21 in which more than 1,000 people were killed.
"Why are you [expletive] on us in the New York Times just moments after we saluted your statesmanship?" Stewart said.
" You had to say one more thing!" he said, comparing the Russian leader to comedian Larry David, best known for his work on the television series "Seinfeld."
In response to Putin's warning against the dangers of "American exceptionalism," Stewart said:
"Oh no you did not. What part of 'Butter Elvis' don't you understand?"
In the op-ed, Putin called himself a protector of international law, saying that "preserving law and order in today's complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos.
Other television talk show hosts including Jay Leno and Arsenio Hall have also mocked Putin for his commentary.
Putin's appeal also attracted a predominantly critical response from U.S. lawmakers.
Senator John McCain called the piece " an insult to the intelligence of every American" on Twitter and promised to counter the piece with his own in Pravda. The Russian newspaper agreed on Friday to publish a response to Putin's op-ed, a day after U.S. said it would abstain from a military strike if Syria hands over its chemical weapons.
No date has been set for the publication.
