Time to normalize US-Russian relations? Former Soviet leader Gorbachev hopes Biden will engage in ‘serious dialogue’ with Kremlin
US president-elect Joe Biden understands the importance of relations between Washington and Moscow. That’s according to ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, famous for playing his part in ending the Cold War.
Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, Gorbachev described Biden as a “person with extensive experience in both domestic and foreign politics,” and declared his hope that, as president, Biden would lead Washington towards serious dialogue with the Kremlin.
“I hope that Joe Biden will strive to normalize relations and restore trust between our countries,” Gorbachev said.
He noted that he had met with Biden on numerous occasions during the Democrat’s tenure as vice president, and got the impression that he understands the importance of relations with Russia.
“I met with him several times, the last time in March 2009,” Gorbachev recalled. “We talked at the White House for almost an hour, then President Obama joined us. The conversation was detailed and friendly.”
Gorbachev was the leader of the USSR from 1985 until its downfall in 1991. Initially a communist, the politician moved towards social democracy, implementing the controversial economic policy of perestroika, which aimed to decentralize the country’s economy. Seen as a great statesman by much of the West, Gorbachev is not well-liked in Russia, and is often accused of failing to stop the collapse of the Soviet Union and leading the country into an economic crisis.
The US presidential election was held last week. Due to the slow speed of counting and the high number of mail-in ballots received, the final vote tally is not yet known.
READ MORE: Trump is right to say US-Russia relations have ‘tremendous potential’ – Gorbachev
However, according to all major US news networks, Biden is the victor. Despite the overwhelming consensus, incumbent President Donald Trump is refusing to accept the results of the election, accusing the Democrats of widespread fraud. He is expected to mount a legal challenge.
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