The same man who interfered in the 2016 presidential election “in an effective campaign to help Trump win the White House” and who was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump for winning that election is now equivocating in acknowledging Biden’s victory and Trump’s defeat.
Three weeks after Biden was proclaimed president-elect – and while Trump continues to refuse to accept the election results – Trump’s “stablemate,” Vladimir Putin, has yet to recognize Biden’s worldwide-acknowledged victory.
Talking out of both sides of his mouth, Putin said on Russian state TV: “’We will work with anyone who has the confidence of the American people.’
However, he was clearer and more supportive of his stablemate with his “but”:
But that confidence can only be given to a candidate whose victory has been recognized by the opposing party, or after the results are confirmed in a legitimate, legal way.
Putin’s emotional support for his friend (and commendable desire for seeing elections conducted in a legitimate, legal way) follows his spokesman’s (Dmitry Peskov) “this election is different” statement a few days ago:
Obviously, you can see that certain legal procedures are coming there, which were announced by the incumbent president — therefore this situation is different, so we consider it correct to wait for the official announcement.
In other words, paraphrasing the late Adlai Stevenson’s famous words, it is now the Russians’ turn to wait until Trump’s hot temper freezes over.
And it may be Russia’s wish to, in fact, wait “until hell freezes over,” because, according to Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Russian Parliament’s upper house’s Foreign Affairs Committee:
With the victory of a Democrat, one can expect revenge from all nonconservative forces around the world. This means more Russophobia in Europe, more deaths in (eastern Ukraine) and in many other hot spots of the world, as well as more politically motivated sanctions, if we talk about the direct and simplest consequences.
Putin indeed seems to be a good friend to Trump, even in bad times.
In addition to having been Putin’s “stablemate” at one time, calling Putin “a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond,” admiring Putin’s “big hero” status in Russia, Trump claims they just “have a very good feeling for each other.”
All good and well, but with friends like these, who needs enemies.
On January 20, the answer will be loud and clear.
