![Leonid Slutsky](/index.php/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2020-11/Chairman%20of%20the%20Russian%20State%20Duma%27s%20International%20Affairs%20Committee%20Leonid%20Slutsky.jpg?itok=wdKUiUeT)
MOSCOW, November 8. /TASS/: The Democratic nominee Joe Biden who has won the US presidential election as the American media outlets claim, will hardly make positive contributions to Washington’s policy regarding Russia, Chairman of the Russian State Duma (lower house) Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky told reporters on Sunday, adding though that Moscow is ready to cooperate with any head of the US administration.
"Unfortunately, one should not expect substantial changes for the better regarding Russia," he said. "Biden together with President [Barack] Obama launched sanctions at various levels against Russia," the deputy noted, adding that the Democratic nominee directly called Russia "the main enemy" of the United States in his pre-election rhetoric. "That is why one should hardly expect any of the Russian politicians to applaud this time on account of the results of the American election," he said.
"However, Russia - and that has been stated at the top level - is ready to cooperate with any US president. It is still one of priorities, particularly at the parliamentary level, to normalize bilateral relations," Slutsky stressed. "All aspects and possibilities of the Russian-American dialogue" will be analyzed at a meeting of the round table in the State Duma at the end of November, he added. "We are not speaking about a new ‘restart’ so far, though it is necessary to look for ways of efficient cooperation, first of all in such areas as global healthcare, strategic stability, arms control, cybersecurity, and peaceful space," Chairman of the State Duma Committee said.
On November 3, American citizens headed to the polls to elect 435 representatives to the House, 35 senators out of 100 to the Senate, and the President and Vice President of the United States. The vote counting is still underway, though the leading US media outlets project that the Democratic nominee Joe Biden has won the presidential election. According to the figures provided by Fox News and the Associated Press, Trump garnered 214 electoral votes, whereas Biden - 290 (270 are required to win). Biden has announced his election victory, whereas Trump claimed he would state his case on the voting results in court.