You’re incorrect. The author was making a sarcastic point, using a well-known repartee from Lloyd Bentson to Dan Quayle in the 1988 Vice-Presidential debate. It was made for effect. You’re not understanding that it was not the author’s intent to actually ascribe or attribute this remark to Andropov. You’re being rather silly.
“Author’s intent”
Oh .. now we have to be able to read minds?