Russia to recognize President-elect Joe Biden after Trump’s announcement

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Reports have indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn’t recognized the victory of President-elect Joe Biden against Donald Trump in the 2020 US presidential election. Point to be noted that President Trump has ordered to start the transition of Biden administration. Russian President said earlier this week that he has been waiting for an end to the domestic political standoff before he will recognize the president-elect. Russian media reported that Kremlin said on Tuesday, nothing had changed in spite of Trump ordered the federal agency overseeing the transition to formally begin on Monday. Vladimir Putin made remarks during an interview and said, there is no hidden motive, that we like someone, or that we dislike someone by withholding his congratulations to the president-elect.

Putin also said, “We are just waiting for an end to the domestic political standoff”. He added that his congratulations would not change the strained relationship between the two governments. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov issued a statement on Tuesday and said, “You can’t spoil a spoiled relationship. It is already spoiled. The order of US President to start the transition process is not enough. Reviews and recounts in some states are still continuing, without which the results of the election cannot be officially announced”. His remarks follow similar statements in the wake of Trump’s defeat and refusal to concede. Trump’s legal team mounted a string of failed lawsuits to overturn the results in several states, relying on baseless claims of voter fraud and conspiracy theories without meaningful evidence in court.

It is noteworthy that the General Services Administration (the federal agency that oversees the presidential transition) has recognized Biden as President-elect on Monday. It is clearly signaling the end of the president’s electoral challenges. President Trump announced on Twitter that he advised GSA chief Emily Murphy to move forward with transition protocols in the best interest of the United States. Peskov said on 9^th November that Russia would not congratulate a winner before legal results have been released, following Biden’s projected Electoral College victory after results emerged from Pennsylvania that effectively sealed his victory. He added, “The incumbent president has announced certain legal procedures, so this situation is different, and we consider it correct to wait for an official announcement”. Peskov said earlier this month that there were no announcements of legal challenges in the 2016 election.