Russia’s Vladimir Putin congratulates Joe Biden on US election victory
- Message came after US Electoral College confirmed Joe Biden’s victory
- Other nations congratulated Biden in the days after the November 3 vote
The Kremlin had said it would wait for the official results of the election before commenting on its outcome, even as other nations congratulated Biden on the win in the days after the November 3 vote.
“For my part, I am ready for interaction and contact with you,” the Kremlin cited Putin as saying in a statement.
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“Putin wished the president-elect every success and expressed confidence that Russia and the United States, which have a special responsibility for global security and stability, could, despite their differences, really help to solve the many problems and challenges facing the world,” the Kremlin said.
Biden is expected to take a tougher stand against Russia than outgoing US President Donald Trump, who he slammed during the campaign for having “embraced so many autocrats around the world, starting with Vladimir Putin”.
Russia was accused of interfering in the 2016 US election to help get Trump elected, in the hope he would take a softer line with Moscow.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse