World1 min(s) read
Published 16:21 22 Nov 2020 GMT
It has been over two weeks since Joe Biden was projected* by news outlets all over the world to become the 46th president of the United States.
However, despite receiving congratulations from world leaders such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, there is one world leader who is still refusing to acknowledge Biden as the overall winner.
As reported by Bloomberg, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he will save his congratulations until a winner has been determined "in a legitimate, legal way".
Speaking on Russian state television on Sunday (November 22), Putin said:
"We will work with anyone who has the confidence of the American people.
"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."
Shortly after Biden was projected to win the election on November 7, a spokesperson for the Russian President said that Putin is refusing to congratulate Biden following his projected victory in the election.
Per The Independent, Dmitry Peskov - a spokesperson for the Russian President - told reporters on November 9 that Russia would only recognize Biden as the new president-elect when the "official results" confirm it to be true.
"We believe the correct thing to do is wait," Peskov told reporters. "President Putin has on many occasions said he would respect any choice the American nation makes."
Back in 2014, Joe Biden recalled to The New Yorker a meeting he had with Putin at the Kremlin back in 2011.
During the meeting, Biden claimed that he said to Putin: "I don’t think you have a soul."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to social media to share a statement congratulating Biden, 77, and Harris, 56, who has become the first black, female vice president.
The Prime Minister tweeted: "Congratulations to Joe Biden on his election as President of the United States and to Kamala Harris on her historic achievement.
"The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security."
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Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau also congratulated both Biden and running mate Kamala Harris on their historic win.
"Our two countries are close friends, partners and allies," Trudeau tweeted.
"We share a relationship that's unique on the world stage. I'm really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both."
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesperson tweeted the government's congratulations in German, tagging both Biden and Harris.
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The pair were also congratulated by French President Emmanuel Macron, who tweeted in English and French: "We have a lot to do to meet the challenges of today. Let's act together!"
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As of this writing, CNN projects that Joe Biden has received 310 electoral votes and a total of 79,787,710 public votes. Donald Trump has received 232 electoral votes with a total of 73,767,224 public votes.
Biden, 78, will now become the oldest president in the nation's history. The record was previously held by Donald Trump, who is currently 74.
In addition, Biden's running mate Kamala Harris is now projected to become the first Black, Asian, and female vice president in US history.
*Biden has been declared the projected winner of the election by NBC, CNN, BBC News, and many others.
It is important to note that it is common for media agencies to reveal their election projections based on voting analysis and counted ballots.
