Joe Biden, "Russophobe" or New Friend of the Kremlin?

US President-elect Joe Biden in Delaware before leaving for the White House on January 19, 2021. AFP - JIM WATSON

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2 min

His first steps will be observed with great attention by the Russian authorities, who say, however, that they do not expect “much” from Joe Biden and his administration.

The Kremlin is wary of the new president and his team, already described as "Russophobic" in Moscow. 

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Their manners will perhaps be more cordial but American policy will certainly not change

": the small sentence of Sergey Lavrov, the head of Russian diplomacy, pronounced at the beginning of the week in Moscow says a lot about the state of mind Russian leaders face Joe Biden.

Difficult relationship expected

If Vladimir Putin was one of the last leaders on the planet

to congratulate the new American president on his election

, it is not only because the Kremlin had bet on a re-election of Donald Trump.

It is also because of the very hostile statements towards Russia made by Joe Biden during the election campaign.

Russia therefore expects a difficult relationship with the new administration and a possible hardening of the sanctions policy towards it.

End instability

But some observers in Moscow believe that the new US presidency could have positive effects for Russia.

First by putting an end to the instability and unpredictability that characterized Donald Trump.

Then, with the possibility of agreeing on two very important themes in the eyes of the Russian authorities: the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, and the negotiations on atomic weapons.

The new relationship between the two countries can be put to the test very quickly: since the

American-Russian New Start treaty

on the reduction of nuclear arsenals expires, as of next month.

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  • Joe biden

  • United States

  • Vladimir Poutine

  • Russia

  • Diplomacy

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