House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair: "Biden is a tougher opponent than Trump... Ready to cooperate"

Biden: "Russia is the Major Threat to the US"...Sanctions Expected to Intensify
Many Issues to Cooperate on, Including COVID-19, Nuclear Disarmament, and Cybersecurity

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] With Joe Biden officially declaring victory in the U.S. presidential election, concerns are growing over the deterioration of U.S.-Russia relations, as Biden had previously described Russia as a major threat to the United States. The chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee emphasized that although the upcoming period will be much more difficult than during Donald Trump's presidency, Russia is ready to cooperate with any American politician.

According to Russian news agency TASS on the 8th (local time), Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, stated at a press conference that "With Biden's administration, Russia-U.S. relations could face greater difficulties," adding, "Biden has previously referred to Russia as a major threat to the U.S., and as someone who imposed various sanctions on Russia during the Obama administration when he was vice president, it is difficult for any Russian politician to applaud his victory."

Last month, in an interview with U.S. CBS, Biden expressed strong caution when asked, "Which country poses the greatest threat to the United States?" saying, "From the perspective of undermining our security and alliances, I believe Russia currently poses the greatest threat to the U.S." Furthermore, at a town hall event hosted by ABC last month, he criticized President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Xi Jinping of China, and Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea collectively as "thugs," accusing President Trump of embracing all the world's "thugs."

Even before taking office, Biden has strongly emphasized collective European security through NATO and the European Union against Russia. It is expected that Western sanctions will be further intensified in response to Russia's forced annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and its support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Chairman Slutsky stated, "However, regardless of who leads the United States, Russia is always ready to cooperate with the U.S.," emphasizing, "We must seek effective bilateral cooperation on global healthcare systems amid the COVID-19 situation, strategic stability, nuclear arms control, and cybersecurity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.