Putin Says He’s Not Ready to Recognize Biden as U.S. President, Putin Says No Hidden Motive In Not Congratulating Biden

(Bloomberg) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he’s ready to work with any U.S. leader, but still isn’t ready to recognize the election victory of Joe Biden.

“We will work with anyone who has the confidence of the American people,” Putin said on Russian state TV Sunday. “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.”

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was no hidden motive in his decision to not congratulate President-elect Joe Biden in the U.S. election, insisting the Kremlin was merely waiting for an "end to the domestic political standoff."

Putin's comments, made in an interview airing on state TV on November 22, add to previous comments from the Kremlin, which has been questioned on why Putin was withholding his congratulations, when many European and other world leaders were offering theirs.

In the previous U.S. presidential vote, Putin was among the first world leaders to congratulate Donald Trump, issuing a statement less than 12 hours after Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton conceded the race early on November 9, 2016.

Biden has been declared the unofficial winner of the U.S. election, based on the popular vote and the number of Electoral College votes he is projected to get.

The Electoral College meets December 14 when it will formally declare a winner, as laid out by the U.S. Constitution. The White House inauguration is scheduled for January 21, 2021.

In the TV interview, which echoed earlier comments from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin suggested that it was improper to congratulate Biden.

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