:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/27298f8a-2277-11eb-a79d-02d2fb1aa1d7.jpg "China and Russia already refuse to congratulate Joe Biden | Abroad")
China stresses that the outcome of the vote has yet to be determined. It did report that “it had noticed that Mr. Biden stated that he was the winner of the election.” “Our understanding is that the outcome of the election will be determined in accordance with US laws and procedures,” a State Department spokesman told the press during a regular briefing.
The Kremlin reports that it has taken note of President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will pursue legal proceedings regarding the election and therefore considers it better to wait for the official announcement before commenting.
“We think it is correct to wait for the official results. I want to remind you that President Putin has said repeatedly that he will respect the choice of the American people, ”said the Kremlin spokesman.
When Trump won Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential election, Putin congratulated him in about an hour. “The difference is quite clear, when there were no announcements of legal challenges,” said the spokesman. He added that Moscow was ready to partner with whoever has been declared the winner of the American vote.
“We hope that with the next president of the United States it will be possible to re-establish dialogue and agree together on ways to normalize our bilateral relations,” he said.
While Trump has yet to admit defeat and has launched several legal processes, many world leaders have congratulated Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris after Democrats were declared winners over the weekend.
Gorbachev sees better relations with the US
Mikhail Gorbatsjov (89)
Ⓒ ANP
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Russian President Vladimir Putin may still be silent about the outcome of the American presidential elections, but former president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev (89) has spoken out. He told Interfax news agency that relations between Washington and Moscow are likely to improve under President Joe Biden.
The former president called Biden a genuine person with a sensible course. Gorbachev mainly sees opportunities to extend the latest nuclear weapons treaty between the US and Russia. The superpowers are negotiating the continuation of this new START agreement from 2010, which expires in February, but with a new Democratic government in Washington it will be easier, Gorbachev expects.
The treaty stipulates that both countries limit their nuclear weapons stockpiles to 1,550 operational warheads.
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