Chinanews.com, January 21. According to a report from Russian Satellite Network on the 21st, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov stated in an interview that Russia had never had any contact with Biden before he took office However, Russia is willing to engage in pragmatic dialogue with the United States on major bilateral and international issues.
Antonov said, "There has never been any contact. However, the officials appointed to be responsible for foreign affairs in the new administration are familiar to everyone. They have held leadership positions in previous U.S. administrations."
He said that with the appointment of officials from the White House, State Department and other government departments, Moscow hopes that the two sides will be able to conduct pragmatic dialogues on major bilateral and international issues.
Antonov said, “First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the problems and obstacles accumulated in bilateral relations. In terms of specific cooperation directions, Russia has repeatedly reiterated its own proposals, and these proposals have been on the negotiating table. Russia is prepared To advance a pragmatic and mutually beneficial dialogue, the premise is that Washington is willing to do the same."
Russia-US relations have been in a state of tension in recent years, and the two countries have obvious differences on cyber security, energy security, arms control, and regional hotspot issues.
In December 2020, Russian President Putin sent a congratulatory message to Biden, congratulating him on winning the US presidential election.
Putin said in the congratulatory message that establishing a Russian-US cooperative relationship based on the principles of equality and mutual respect is in the interests of Russia, the United States and the international community.
At noon on January 20, 2021 local time, Biden, the President-elect of the United States, was sworn in on Capitol Hill and officially became the 46th President of the United States.