Will Interact With Trump Administration, Our Conditions Have Not Changed: Russia

With Donald Trump winning the US Presidential election, Russia said on Wednesday that it would interact with the new US White House administration, “firmly upholding its national interests” and work to achieve its goals in the Ukraine conflict. 

In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry took a dig at the outgoing Biden administration while also stating that the US “ruling political elite adheres to anti-Russia principles” and the policy of “containing Moscow.” 

“The victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election and his return to the White House after a four-year break obviously reflect Americans’ disappointment in the performance of the Biden administration and the election programme of the Democratic Party formulated by Vice-President Kamala Harris, who was hastily chosen to replace the incumbent President in the race,” the statement said. 

It lauded some issues of Trump’s campaign, stating that the Republican candidate highlighted issues of genuine interest to the electorate “as a counterbalance to the White House’s globalist course”. “Despite an overpowering propaganda campaign, which Democrats launched against Donald Trump based on the administrative resource and support from the liberal media, the Republican candidate, who relied on the experience of his previous presidency, highlighted issues that are of real interest to the electorate, namely, the economy and illegal migration, as a counterbalance to the White House’s globalist course,” the statement said.

“In these circumstances, the ruling group was unable to use the chronically ill American “democracy,” a system which is outdated, archaic and incompatible with the modern standards of direct, fair and transparent elections, to prevent Kamala Harris’s defeat,” it added. 

Russia claimed there was civil discord in the US and a confrontation between Democratic and Republican states. “At the same time, there is an obvious civil discord in the United States, whose electorate has split into almost equal halves. In fact, we are witnessing a confrontation between Democratic and Republican states, and between the advocates of “progressive” and traditional values. Donald Trump’s return may fuel internal tensions and bitterness between the confronting camps,” the statement said.

It said Moscow has no illusions regarding the president-elect, who is well-known in Russia. “The US ruling political elite adheres to anti-Russia principles and the policy of “containing Moscow.” This line does not depend on changes in America’s domestic political barometer, no matter if it is Trump and his supporters “America above all” or the Democrats’ focus on a “rules-based world order. Russia will interact with the new administration when it comes to the White House, firmly upholding Russia’s national interests and working to achieve all the goals of the special military operation,” the statement said. 

“Our conditions have not changed, and Washington is well aware of them,” it added. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also expressed her views during a media interaction on the US election result.

“It makes no difference for Russia what the election outcome will be, given the two-party consensus that emerged in the United States regarding the confrontation toward our country,” the spokesperson said earlier. 

Trump won the US presidential polls and will have a second term in office.